CONTROVERSY RESPECTING THE NEW HAMPSHIRE GRANTS,

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Connecticut , in order to discover and ascertain the bounds between this Government and the Gov-ernment of New Hampshire , for which purpose, I beg leave to Lay before your Excellency theFollowing Observations.

That the Government of New Hampshire Seem to found their right of Extending the bounds ofthat Government Westward, upon the Examples Set them by the two Charter Governments ofMassachusetts Bay and Connecticut , and Conclude that because those two Governments have extendedtheir western bounds within about twenty miles of Hudsons River that therefore the province ofNew York does not extend further Eastward, and that the Bounds of Hampshire Government mustIn Consequence thereof Extend within the Same distance of the Said River.

I shall therefore in the first place endeavour to Shew that wiiat the Said two Charter Govern-ments have done ought not to be of any weight with regard to the Settlement of the bounds Be-tween this Government and the Government of New' Hampshire , and Shall afterwards Endeavourto Shew' from Such papers and materials as I have been able to collect, w r hat ought to be consideredas the bounds of this Government.

That the line between this Government and the Colony of Connecticut is within about 20 milesof Hudson’s River is Certain; but then the claim of the Colony of Connecticut to that line, isfounded upon an agreement made with this Government in or about the year 1684, wdiich agree-ment urns afterwards Confirmed by King William and thereupon the Lines between the two Govern-ments were run and the Bounds marked by Commissioners from both in the year 1725, which hasfixed the Eastern bounds of this Colony about 20. miles East of Hudson’s river, as far north as theColony of Connecticut Extends ; but that that Agreement with Connecticut Relating to the Boundsbetween that Government and this, Should be made use of as a reason for Confining this Governmentto the Same lines or bounds from Hudson’s river nortli of the bounds of Connecticut Government, Iconceive would be altogether unjust; Because that w'as a Special agreement between those twoGovernments only, and had not any manner of Relation to the bounds of this Government, northof the Connecticutt Government; but left those bounds in the Same manner That they were beforethat agreement Took Place; and the Boundaries there to be Settled and ascertained upon otherReasons and Considerations than took place and w r ere of weight in Settling the bounds between thisand the Government of Connecticutt ; tis true, that the Government of Massachusetts bay, haveunder pretence that this Government ought to be Confined to the Same bounds, Intruded upon andtaken possession of the Lands Eastward of that distance from Hudsons river ; but that they haveSo done, without pretence of right, I think will manifestly appear by Considering the words of theirCharter which as they have Printed it in their owm law book are These viz :

“ All.that part of New England in America lying & Extending from the Great River Commonly“ called Monomack alias Merimack on the North part and from three miles northward of the Said“ River to the Atlantick or w'estern Sea or Oceon on the South part And all the Lands and lier-“ editaments whatsoever lying within the Limitts aforesaid and Extending as far as the Outermost11 points or Promontaries of land called Cape Cod and Cape Malabar north and south and in Latitude “ Breadth and in length and Longitude of and within all the Breadth & Compass aforesaid throughout“ the main Land there from the said Atlantick or w'estern Sea and Ocean on the East part towards“ the South Sea or westward as far as our Colonies of Rhode Island, Connecticut , and the Narragan-“ sett Country &c.

These words seem to me very Plainly to Express that the bounds of that Government is toextend from the western ocean on the East to the Eastern bounds of the Colony of Connecticut onthe west and no further. And altho that Goverment have Endeavoured to construe the words viz‘Westward as far as our Colonies of Rhode Island, Connecticut and the JVaragansetts Country ; To