The County of Cumberland to Thos Motley D' 1784 May. To Boarding Thomas Oxnard 7 Weeks a 10/ £3.. 10..N. The said Oxnard was committed for returning from Banishment & liberated by Order of his Excellency yo Governor Reed an Order on yo County Treasurer for yo above

Thomas Motley Goal Keeper The County of Cumberland to John Waite Dr May 1784 To serving several Towns & Plantations with an Order of Court for choosing Officers to collect Taxes £2 .. 13 .. 4 Receiv'd an Order on the County Treasurer for the above

John Waite Sheriff

Petition of John Allan for Land in Pasamaquody.

To The Honble the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

The Memorial of John Allan Late Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the Eastern Department in behalf of Himself & others

Humbly Sheweth

That your Memorialist in the Month of October 1766 was oblidged, in Consequence of the Contest between the United States & Britain to retire from Nova Scotia, leaving His family and a Valuable property, the former after much difficulty and Expence removed into this Country, and a great Part of the latter was destroyed by the Britains

That in the Month of January following, Your Memorialist was appointed by the Honble Congress Superintendent of Indian Affairs in Eastern Department, and soon after Commanding Officer of the Troops station'd at Machias, that to the End of the War His whole time was devoted to the said business, as well His family what Concern'd the Indians

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 22d 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 desirous 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