CONTROVERSY RESPECTING THE NEW HAMPSHIRE GRANTS.
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20‘h of July 1764, finally to cletermine and declare the Western banks of Connecticut river fromwhere it enters the Province of the Massachusets Bay as far as the 45 Ul degree of northern Latitude,to be the boundary Line between the Provinces of New Hampshire and New York .
Tiiat in the year 1768, an ordinance was passed in your Majesty’s name and under your MajestysSeal of New York , erecting part of the Lands on the west side of Connecticut river into a new Countyby the name of Cumberland ; and on the 16 th of March in the present year, a like ordinance passederecting another county to the northward of the former, by the name of Gloucester ; in consequencewhereof proper courts have been established and organized, & justice duely administered, as in theother Counties within your Majestys Province of New York , to the great comfort ease and happinessof your Petitioners, and other your Majesty’s loyal & faithful subjects, who hoped to have enjoyeduninterruptedly the fruits of their industry in Peace and tranquillity.
That in the month of June last, a number of disorderly persons seated in the township of Windsorin the County of Cumberland, assembled in a riotous manner, & by threats obstructed the proceedingsof the Court of Common pleas; pretending that the Magistrates & Civil Officers were unauthorized ;that no obedience was due to them ; that the Jurisdiction belonged to the Government of NewHampshire ; That your Majesty’s Royal Order aforesaid would soon be rescinded ; and the Landsthereby declared as part of your Majesty’s Colony of New York , be decreed to appertain for the futureto the Province of New Hampshire .
That residing near the borders of the two Governments, the said riotous persons have eluded thepublick justice, by flight into New Hampshire ; and confederating with divers inhabitants there;have promoted a spirit of disorder and disobedience to the authority of your Majestys Govern-ment of New York , by Signing and procuring the subscriptions of many persons in both provincesto a Petition, the avowed purpose of which is the change of Jurisdiction.
That your Petitioners are persuaded this measure is calculated to elude the punishment due tothose lawless trangressors : to promote the interests of individuals, who have made a traffic of theNew Hampshire titles, and to aggrandize the family of the lafe Governour Wentworth, for whosebenefit reservations of Land were made in all the numerous Grants which he thought proper topass. While your Petitioners have the greatest reason to think it will if adopted prove highlydissatisfactory and prejudicial to the Body of Inhabitants in general, who beginning to feel the eminentadvantages of a settled Government, view with concern even the prospect of an alteration that mayagain expose them to the difficulties and hardships, with which they so lately contended, at the sametime that it must be inevitably productive of uncertainty and confusion in titles and peculiarlygrievous to a great number of your Majesty’s Subjects, who confiding in the Stability of yourMajestys said royal order, have purchased and seated themselves in that country from an imme-diate view of their being connected with and under the protection of this your Majesty’s Govern-ment. of New York .
Your Petitioners therefore most humbly beseech your Majesty to Grant them such releif as to yourMajesty, in your great wisdom shall seem meet.
And your Majesty’s Petitioners, as in duty bound, shall ever pray & c .
1 st November 1770 $