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CONTROVERSY RESPECTING THE NEW HAMPSHIRE GRANTS.

Governor of New Hampshire ; altho’ by a Letter to me of the 19 th day of October last his Excel-lency the Governor of that Province utterly disclaims any such or the like Assurances, and declares“ that lie had invariably recommended implicit Obedience to the Laws , and upon ail occasionspositively disavowed any Connection with those People. And Whereas it is become highly necessarythat this Government should pursue the most vigorous Measures to suppress that daring andlicentio'us Spirit, which has given so much Disturbance to the public Peace, and Interruption to theCourse of Justice: In order therefore to undeceive such deluded Persons, and to bring them to asense of the Duty and Submission they owe to this Government; and that none may pretendIgnorance of the just Title of this Province to the Lands in Question; I have thought fit witii theAdvice of his Majesty’s Council to issue this Proclamation, hereby publickly notifying, That KingCharles the Second by his several Letters Patent bearing Date the 12 th day of March 166314 andthe 29°* day of June 1674, did Give and Grant in Fee unto his Brother James Duke of York theRiver called Hudson’s River, and a Ml the Land from, the West Side of Connecticut River to the EastSide of Delaware Bay ”—That until the year 1741, the Limits of the Province of New Hampshire were confined to the Territory granted to Mason and Gorges , which extending only Sixty Miles fromthe Sea Coast, did not approach Connecticut River within a considerable Distance—That in the year1741 the Crown by the Royal Commission to the late Governor of that Province , first extended itsLimits but without contracting the Bounds of the other Colonies , it being expressly declared in thesaid Commission, that New Hampshire shall extend Westward and Northward until it meets withhis Majesty's other Governments —That the Controversy between the two Provinces touching theirrespective Limits, first commenced in the year 1749, when the late Governor of New Hampshire byLetter of the 17 th day of November, signified to the then Governour of this Province, that he had itin command from his Majesty to make Grants of the unimproved Lands in New Hampshire ; anddesired Information how far North of Albany this Province extended, and how many Miles tothe Eastward of Hudson’s River, Northward of the Massachusetts Line ; that he might governhimself accordingly—In answer to which Request, this Government by Letter of the 9 th day ofAprill 1750, asserted that this Province is bounded Eastward by Connecticut River , the beforementioned Letters Patent from King Charles the Second to the Duke of York , expressly granting-all the Lands from the West Side of Connecticut River to the East Side of Delaware Bay —Thathad the Government of New Hampshire adverted to an obvious Distinction between their own Claimand that of the Massachusetts Bay and Connecticut Colonies , it must have removed every objec-tion ; for, however exceptionable in other Respects, the Titles of the two latter Governments arefounded on Charters prior to the Establishment of New York , but the Royal Commission which firstconnected the Bounds of New Hampshire with the Limits of this Province, is so recent as the year1741: and priority of Title, the only argument which could be urged by Massachusetts Bay or Con-necticut, is with Regard to New Hampshire in Favour of this Province —The late Governour Went-worth nevertheless in answer to the Information so given him of the unquestionable Right of thisColony to extend to Connecticut River , by his Letter of the 25 th Day of April 1750, declared thatthe claim of New York to Connecticut River as its Eastern Boundary, would have been intirelysatisfactory, had not the two Charter Governments of Massachusets Bay and Connecticut , extendedtheir Bounds many Miles Westward of Connecticut River ; and that it being the opinion of hisMajesty’s Council of that Province, that New Hampshire had an equal Right to claim the same Extentof Western Boundary with those Charter Governments, he had before the preceeding Letter cameto his Hands, granted one Township, due North of the Massachusets Line, and by Measurementtwenty four Miles East of the City of Albany—That the Governor of this Province by Letter ofthe 6u> Day of June 1750, expressed his Surprize at such a Procedure, and insisted if it was StillVon. iv. 58