"It is hereby certified, that whereas Thomas Hawley, Nathan St John, Samuel Smith, Benjamin Benedict, Richard Olmsted, Thomas Smith, Ebcnezer Smith, Daniel Sherwood, Benjamin Burtt, Thomas Hyatt, Benjamin Wilson, Joseph Lee, Joseph Kceler, James Benedict, Richard Osborn, Samuel Smith, Daniel Olmsted, Timothy Keeler, Jonah Keeler, Matthew Seymour, Joseph Northrup, James Brown, Adam Ireland, John Thomas, and Benejamin Birdsall, inhabitants of the town of Ridgeficld, as of the eastern parts of this province, by their humble petition, presented unto his Excellency in council, the third day of September, setting forth that they and their ancestors have for a longtime been settled upon, cultivated and improved, certain lands near the eastern parts of this province, held by patent from the colony of Connectintt ; but that, contrary to their expectations, some of the lands to be sold by patent from the colony of Connecticut are supposed to be within that part of the proviuce of New York, commonly called the Equivalent Lands, and that the petitioners, together with their associates, would be willing to defray the charge and expense of finding out and ascertaining the true partition lines between both the said colonies, provided that 50,000 acres of the said lands be granted to the petitioners ; and whereas, the partition lines between the said colonies have been accordingly run out and ascertained by commissioners for both the said colonies, being thereunto duly commissioned and appointed, and sixty-one thousand four hundred and forty acres of land of the said colouy of Connecticut were lately, at the settling of the said partition lines, surrendered to the said province of New York, for the use of his Majesty; wherefore the petitioners prayed his Excellency would be favorably pleased to grant to them, their heirs and assigns, his Majesty's letters patent for 50.000 acres of the said land under such quit-rent provisions and restrictions as is and are directed in his Excellency's commissions and instructions; which petition being then and