I can make no doubt but at present it sufficiently appears that there was as little Foundation for asserting so barefaced a Falsehood as that of having pay4 so large a sum for their Charters as there was for saying that I had made any demands on them. If there had been real claimants of the ninety six Townships and they had joined together in this Petition, the whole of their expence would not have amounted to 1600 pounds although it would appear they claimed more than two million of acres, but this is: very far from being the case, for 21 of these being indisputably

604 CONTROVERSY RESPECTING THE

within the former Limits of this Province before His Majesty's Proclamation in regard to New Hampshire and the only Settlemts made on any of those twenty one Townships are Intrusions, and have been proved to be so, on Patents granted by this Governmt some of thirty others of sixty years stands. The merits of 28 have been already-examined before the Council and am assured are not concerned in this Petition, four of which have passed the Great Seal, three more are ready but were stopped on this occasion and the rest are surveying and laying out as fast as the Surveyor Gen! can find proper men to execute his orders so that it should seem as if the only persons who had. not complyed with their engagements with the Crown should think they were most aggrieved, and expect to obtain particular marks of Hig Majestys Favor by Fraud and Imposition ; neither Robinson nor his Associates who under a pretended Hampshire right settled upon some of the old Patents in this Province have ever thought proper to make use of that indulgence which this government had shew to them by confirming their settlements' to them, as is already mentioned in this Letter, or have ever applyed to their Grants on the contrary they have madea merit of their Stubborn-- ness, in order to disquiet the minds of their Neighbours, and stir upa seditious spirit among them trom whence they are in expectation of reaping some Benefit.