At the Conclusion of the War your Memorialist made report to His Excellency the Governor of this Commonwealth and the Honble Congress, the State of the department and situation of the Eastern Country as it stood disputable respecting the boundarys with Britain, and altho' not discharged by this Government, View'd himself no further in a Military Capacity. The Honble Congress were pleased in June last to renew His Commission as Superintendent in Order to make a final settlement with the Indians, during the time of prosecuting this business, Your Memorialist Endeavour'd all in His Power to prevent the Subjects of the British King, settling on those Valuable Lands situated in the Bay of Passamaquody, known to be the Indubitable Right of this Commonwealth But Peace being now Settled it appears His Service is no more Necessary Your Memorialist has not received any Perquisite or Ammolument arising from His Situation & ranque in the Service, Except Pay and Rations a great part of which is still due, nor would he have given Your Honours this Trouble, had Nova Scotia, as was Expected, fell into the United States Your Memorialist at an Early Period, was Averse to the form of the British Government, it was the principle Reason of Coming into the United States, to become a Citizen, nor does He ever intend to return under the Jurisdiction of the former Your Memorialist is without any Personal Property within the United States, Except what is due for His Publick Services, Having at the sametime a large family to Provide for Your Memorialist woud further beg leave, to Solicite in behalf of Three Officers and Fifeteen Soldiars who have Continued in the department during the War, as allso for Eighteen other persons, formerly Inhabitants of Nova Scotia now in the States, for some lands in Consequence of their Services & Sufferings Therefore your Memorialist Humbly Prays, that your Honours woud be Pleased to take this under Consideration, and allow for a Settlement, to the several persons before mention'd, a Sufficiancy of Lands in the Bay of Passamaquody, Agreeable to what in Your Honours Wisdom they may Marret and Deserve. And Your Memorialist as in Duty bound will Ever Pray Boston June 2nd 1784 In Senate June 29th 1784 J Allan Read and thereupon Orderd, that the Petitioner have leave to withdraw his Petition agreable to his request. Attest Will Baker Jun' Clk to the Senate Order on the Petition of Pelatiah Warren & Others. Commonwealth of Massachusetts In Senate July 2d 1784 Order'd, that the petition of Pelatiah Warren & others, be committed to the Committee for examining into the claims to the unappropriated Lands in the County of York & Cumberland, appointed by a resolve of the General Court of May the first 1781; & that the said Committee be & they are hereby directed as soon as may be, to ascertain the just boundary lines of the several Plantations, mentioned in the said Petition, and to take a plan of the Gore or Tracts of Lands that may belong to this Commonwealth, situate between them or any of them, and make report thereof together with the quality & value of the same to the General Court at their next Session Sent down for Concurrence S Adams Presid In the House of Representatives July 2a 1784 Read and concurred Sam A Otis Spk' Report of Committee on Lands in the County of Lincoln. Commonwealth of Massachusetts July 7, 1784 The Committee appointed, by a Resolve of the 28th of October last, to examine the Claims to the unappropriated lands in the County of Lincoln, &c, take leave to report. that agreeable to a Resolve of the General Court of the 224 of March last, they have contracted with a surveyor to lay out three townships, & lot the same, on the Northeast side of Penobscot river, between the lands claimed by the Indians & the upermost of the twelve townships, so called, which said three townships will soon be ready for sale. the Committee report that, though, by their report of the third instant, they have described the extent, and boundaries of the patent made to Beauchamp & Leverett, yet as the extent and boundaries of the said patent are not agreed on or settled by Government, and the persons interested therein; and therefore it cannot be determined, what lands belong to Government, between the said patent, and the lands claimed by the Indians, till the said boundaries are settled, they have not sent a surveyor to locate the townships mentioned in last recited Resolve, between the river Penobscot and Kennebeck, finding, on further enquiry, that Government might incur a considerable expence, in laying out the said townships on lands, the property & title whereof, are not yet ascertained, & which no person, probably, would purchase at the full value, until the same be determined The Committee being persuaded, that Government are de sirous of ascertaining with certainty the eastern boundary of this Commonwealth, before they would incur the expence of laying out townships on the river St Croix; they have hitherto omitted to locate any lands on that river the Committee have particularly attended to the Circumstances of many of the twelve townships, so called, the conditions of the Grants thereof, the number of proprietors, & others settled thereon, with their settlements, & Improvements, and find that in the year 1762 the General Court of this then province granted twelve townships to a number of persons, upon condition, that they should, in eighteen months from the date of the grant, procure the approbation of the King of Great Britain, to said grants, and upon certain other conditions mentioned therein; that said term of eighteen months was several times lengthened for some of the grantees to procure the approbation of the King, but which however never was obtained by any of them; and that some of the other conditions of said grants have been performed by a part of the said grantees; that a number of the said grantees and others have settled upon said lands, principally, between the years 1764 & 1774, about five hundred heads of families who have erected buildings, & made considerable improvements; whence, the Committee are of opinion that the said grantees & settlers have, in strict law, no legal title to said lands, yet that it will be equity and good policy, in the Government, to quiet them, (making some few exceptions) in their possessions, on mild & favorable terms, and the Committee hope by the next Session of the General Court to compleat their enquiries rispecting said twelve townships; & the circumstances of the said grantees, settlers & others concerned therein, and to be able to report to the General Court. And the Committee find that there are a great number of settlers, who have entered upon the lands of the Commonwealth elsewhere erected buildings thereon, & made some im provements; many of whom have applied for a confirmation of their possessions to them, upon reasonable terms-respecting these settlers, the Committee are of opinion that those, who have applied or shall, personally apply to the General Court, for that purpose, have granted & confirmed to them said lands by them possessed, upon condition, they pay therefor, the value thereof, were they in a State of Nature. As to the other claims of individuals, or private Companies, to the said unappropriated lands which have been laid before the Committee, they will use all reasonable diligence to be in readiness to report at the next Sessions of the General Court Sam' Phillips jun' In Senate July 9th 1784 Read & accepted Sent down for Concurrence S Adams Presidt In the House of Representatives July 9th 1784 Read and concurred Sam A Otis Spk' Act empowering the Gov" to renew the Licence of certain Absentees Commonwealth of Massachusetts In the Year of our LORD one thousand seven hundred & eighty four. An Act empowering the Governor, with the Advice of Council, to renew the Licences of certain Persons therein mentioned to reside within this Commonwealth. Whereas in Pursuance of an Act, intitled "An Act for repealing two Laws of this State, & for asserting the free & sovereign Right of this Commonwealth, to expell such Aliens as may be dangerous to the Peace & Good Order of Govern |