had been scattered. Traditions were found inconsistent and contradictory, varying the line in places to a considerable extent. Along the whole distance the greatest uncertainty existed, and a distrust and want of confidence in all the supposed lines, ratherthan a disposition to contend for any. Resident* near the border refrained from voting in either State ; while officers of justice and collectors of revenue from both hesitated to exercise their authority up to any clearlydefined limit. These circumstances were taken advantage of by those who desired to evade the payment of taxes or the severity of the law."

To this statement of facts New York responded by the appointment, in January, 1856, of Mr. C. W. Wentz, of Albany, an engineer of established reputation, to survey, ascertain and mark the boundary line. No difficulty intervened from the initial point at the " wading stone," to the Ridgefield angle, but from thence to the Massachusetts line a radical dift'erence interposed between the commissions.

The representatives of Connecticut contended for a straight line between the two extreme points, fiftythree miles apart, because the old monuments and marks upon the line were generally removed, and the original line could not be traced with any certainty by reference t6 them. On the other hand, the commissioners of New York considered their authority limited to " ascertaining " the boundary as originally defined ; no agreement was reached, and in August, 1859, each State appointed new commis- I sioners ; but at their conference at Port Chester, on 13th September, of that year, the same difference of views confronted the commission, and the conference resulted in no practical work. On the 3d of April, 1860, New York passed an act empow-ering the commission formerly appointed to survey and mark with suitable monuments the "line between the two States as fixed by the survey of 1731." Under this authority the New York commission fixed and marked the boundary line between the two States, placing monuments along the line at intervals of one mile from the Massachusetts line to the mouth of Byram River.