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America in common conversation, and have frequently misrepresented their actions, yet I alwaysthought that so much decency would constantly be preserved in an address to the Crown, that itshould contain no assertions of Facts but what were incontestable; I beg leave to assure yourLordship that this is very far from being the case at present, and that it gave me the highest satis-faction to find that His Majesty was determined not only to have the strictest enquiry made intothe circumstances of the charges in the Petition , but that he expected the clearest and fullest answersto every part of it. As I am persuaded that when the truth is laid open it will fully appear that Ihave neither perverted the Power lodged in my hands, nor acted in any manner derogatory to mystation, and that so far from deserving the least imputation of oppression, I have made disinter-estedness the characteristic of my administration as I thought it Incumbent on me to support inevery shape the dignity of the commission with which His Majesty had been pleased to honor me.
To begin my answer as far back as I can, I beg leave to transcribe some minutes of the Councilwhich are as follows—
On Wednesday the 10 th of April 1765, the Lieuten 1 Governor laid before the Council His Majesty’sorder in Council dated July 20 th 1764 declaring the River Connecticut to be the Boundary betweenthe Provinces of New York and New Hampshire .
On Wednesday the 22 d day of May 1765 the Council having taken into their consideration thecase of the persons who are actually settled under the Grants of New Hampshire , and being of opinionthat the dispossessing them of their Lands, would be ruinous to them and their Families gave it astheir opinion to the Lieu 1 Gov r that the Surveyor general be directed not to make any return tillfurther orders, on any Warrant of survey already made or which may hereafter come to his handsof any Lands possessed under those Grants, unless for the Persons who were in the actual Possessionthereof.
On Tuesday the 22 d day of October 1765 The Council gave it as their opinion that in the Patentsthen ready to be granted to Capt n John Small and M r Napier the Director Gen 11 of the Hospitals, areservation should be made of the Lands actually possessed and improved by Jacob Marsh and hisassociates to the amount of 200 acres to each Person.
It would be proper to observe here that these Lands though petitioned'for under a grant fromNew Hampshire were within 20 miles of Hudsons River, but were still notwithstanding theencroachment, protected on account of the Settlement on them, although the Title set up was rejected.
On my arrival here which was on the 12 th day of November 1765, I found the Province in somuch Disorder occasion’d by the frequent Riots which prevail’d at that Time, that no business ofany kind was transacted, all the offices were slnitt up and of course no application tor Landsmade, for I was determined not to issue any papers except such as were stamped and the peoplehere refused to take them on that condition. The particular circumstances of those troubleshaving been already transmitted to England mention is only made of them now, to show that I neverentered on any part of that Department which lias been productive of the present charge againstme, till after the repeal of the Stamp act.
I hope I shall not be thought too prolix in relating all the steps which have been taken on thisoccasion for I would not have the least article omitted relative to the Lands in question that thewhole may at once be submitted to His Majesty’s determination. After having set forth what hasbeen done in a regular course of Proceedings here I shall then answer the particulars of Mr.Robinsons Petition .
No sooner was the Stamp act repealed and the offices opened again, but Petitions were preferredby many of the Inhabitants here for grants of Lands on the Connecticut River , but as I appre-hended it would be highly improper to issue any till the Rights of those persons were ascertained