Pursuant to your Lordships bhides of the 17 day of June last we have taken into our consideration such parts of the papers thereunto annexed as relate to disorders which have prevailed within the district between the Rivers Hudson and Connecticut in consequence of a variety of Questions & disputes which have arisen with respect to tittles to Lands and Possessions within the said District on the Ground of different Grants made by the Governors of His Majt's Provinces of New York and New

Hampshire whereupon we beg leave to report to your Lordships.'

804 CONTROVERSY RESPECTING THE

That the district between the said Rivers Hudson and Connecticut within which these disorders and disputes have arisen lyes to the North of the Northern Limits of the Massachusets Bay established in 1740 and is described to be of great fertility of very considerable extent and abounding in parts with very valuable Timber fit for masts and other Naval uses.

In early times the Government of the Massachusetts Bay under its ancient Charter which was vacated in 1684 assumed a Jurisdiction and granted Lands within that part of this district which lies to the East of a line drawn at twenty miles distance from Hudsons River and there are now some Townships remaining which are derived under patents from that Colony and altho the Province of New York set up pretensions to this district under the General descriptive Words of King Charles the 24 Patent to the Duke of York in 1664 and the Governor of that Colony did in the late times make some Grants of Land within the same yet it does not appear that any attempts were made to disturb the Possessions of the Proprietors of the ancient Towns settled under the Grants from the Province of Massachusets Bay nor were any establishments made competent to the exercise of any regular jurisdiction therein But when by the determination of the boundary line between Massachusets Bay and New Hampshire in 1740 it was declared that the latter of those Provinces should extend West from Merrimacks River till it met with His Majesty's other Governments and when in consequence thereof the said Province claimed to extend to within 20 miles of Hudsons River the Government of New York insisted upon their Claim with greater earnestness and the two Provinces became involved in a Controversy which after much heat and altercation on both sides ended in 1750 in an agreement to refer the point in question to the Crown and each party made a Representation of the state of their case; But after several hearings at the different the Agents on both sides desired further time. to consult their Constituents and the War breaking out in America soon after the business was allowed to lye over till the restoration of Publick Peace when the dispute being revived with much heat and animosity it [appeared] that the Governour of New Hampshire had taken the opportunity pendente lite to