In obedience to an Order in Council on the 29*^ day of September last referring to the Committee of Council and the Commissioners appointed to examine into the Eastern Boundaries of this province A Letter from his Excellency Governor Shirley to the late Governor Clinton of the 17tt» of September last together with a Representation of tlie Council and Assembly of the province of the Massachusets Bay of the ll^f' September to Governor Shirley and An Act of that Province to appoint Commissioners to examine into the Boundary Line or Lines between Massachusetts Bay and New York and to treat with the Commissioners appointed by the Colony of New York respecting the same As also a Vote of the said Council and Assembly relating to the Confinement of one Michael Hallinbeck in the Goal of Dutchess County We have duly weighed and considered of the same But before we proceed to Report our opinion thereon to your Honour beg leave briefly to recite the proceedings touching the said Matters as they appear in the papers laid before us which we find as follow.

That upon Complaints of Encroachments made by people of the Massachusetts Bay On Lands long since granted under the

760 PAPERS RELATING TO THE

great seal of this province a Committee of the Councill of the said province did in their report of the Twenty Eighth of ffebruary Last set in a clear light his Majestys right To the Jurisdiction and soil of the Lands westward of Connecticut river and northward of the Colony of Connecticut as part of this his Majesty's province of New York and then pointed out and Considered all the Grants within their Knowledge, by which the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay have pretended To claim, and showed that they could not under any of them rightfully claim any soil or Jurisdiction west of Connecticut river and proposed that the Generall Court of tlie Massachusetts Bay should Inform this Government " By what Warrant they Claim or Exercise " any right To soil or Jurisdiction west of Connecticut river " To which the Generall Court of the Massachusetts Bay after Considering the said report made no answer.