avoided in the said district it was thereby recommended to all the Inhabitants thereof to cultivate harmony and concord among themselves, to forbear vexing each other at Law or otherwise, and to give as little occa sion as possible for the Interposition of Magistrates; and that in the opinion of Congress no unappropriated lands or Estates which were or might be adjudged forfeited or confiscated lying in the said district ought untill the final decision of Congress in the premisses to be granted or sold. And finally ordered that Copies of the aforegoing Resolutions should be sent by express to the States of New York, New Hampshire and the Massachusetts Bay; and to the People of the district aforesaid and that they be respectively desired to lose no time in appointing their Agent or agents and otherwise preparing for the hearing aforesaid. In addition to these necessary measures for the Restoration of domestic tranquillity Congress on the

24 Oct 1779 Passed the following Resolution viz1 That it be recommended to the States of New Hampshire Massachusetts bay and New York to authorise Congress to proceed to hear and determine all disputes subsisting between the grantees of the several States aforesaid with one or other or with either of the said States respecting title to the lands lying in the said district to be heard and determined "by Judges or Commissioners" to be appointed in the mode prescribed by the ninth article of the Confederation.

21st Oct 1779. The Legislature of New York in Compliance with the recommendation of Congress passed a law authorizing in the most explicit terms a settlement of all Controversies respecting title and Jurisdiction within the district of the grants agreeably to the preceeding Resolutions; And promising that the State and all Claimants under it should be forever barred and precluded by such decision; And their delegates in Congress are appointed Agents for managing the Controversy on the part of this State.

The Legislature of New Hampshire likewise passed

a law to authorise Congress to determine the said Controversies agreeably to their Recommendation and appointed their agent.

The People who contended for a separate Jurisdiction now had the fairest opportunity of vindicating their Claims before a Tribunal to which they could have no reasonable objection. This will be readily seen by a recourse to the articles of Confederation with respect to their titles to the soil; And in point of Jurisdiction the Representatives of nine States altogether disinterested were to be their Judges; They nevertheless continued to enforce their authority both civil and military over the persons and effects of the Inhabitants of the district who professed themselves to be Citizens of New York. And what is still more reprehensible to make themselves formidable by an accession of new friends they granted and gave away the unappropriated lands without Reserve.

A Representation had been made to Congress by the parties aggrieved of this infraction of their Resolutions and the report of a Committee of Congress thereupon had been under deliberation.

24 June 1780. Congress resumed the consideration of the Report of the Committee on sundry papers respecting the New Hampshire grants and thereupon came to the following Resolutions.

Whereas it is represented to Congress and by authentic evidence laid before them it appears that the People inhabiting the district of Country commonly known by the name of the New Hampshire grants, and claiming to be an independant State, have, notwithstanding the Resolutions of Congress of the 24th of September and 2d of Oct' proceeded as a separate Government to make grants of land and sales of estates by them declared forfeited and confiscated; and have also in divers instances exercised civil and military authority over the persons and effects of sundry Inhabitants within the said district who profess themselves to be Citizens of and to owe allegiance to the State of New York;

Resolved that the acts and proceedings of the people inhabiting the said district and claiming to be an independant State as aforesaid in Contravening the good Intentions of the said Resolutions of the 24th of September and 2a of October last, are highly unwarrantable and subversive of the peace and welfare of the United States. That the People inhabiting the said district and claiming to be an independant State as aforesaid be and they hereby are strictly required to forbear and abstain from all acts of authority civil or military over the Inhabitants of any Town or district who hold themselves to be subjects of and to owe allegiance to any of the States claiming the Jurisdiction of the said Territory in whole or in part untill the decisions and determinations in the Resolutions aforementioned shall be made. And whereas the States of New Hampshire and New York have complied with the said Resolutions of the 24th of Sept and 2a of October last and by their agents and Delegates in Congress declared themselves ready to proceed in supporting their respective rights to the Jurisdiction of the district aforesaid in whole or in part according to their several Claims and in the mode prescribed in the said Resolution; And whereas Congress by their order of the 21st of March last did postpone the consideration of the subject of the said Resolutions, nine States, exclusive of those who were parties to the Question not being represented; and by their order of the 17th of May last have directed that letters be written to the States not represented requiring them immediately to send forward a representation; Resolved that Congress will as soon as nine States exclusive of those which are parties to the Controversy shall be represented proceed to hear and examine into and finally determine the disputes and differences relative to Jurisdiction between the three States of New Hampshire Massachusetts bay and New York respectively or such of them as shall have passed such Laws as are mentioned in the said Resolutions of the 24th of September and 2a of October last on the one

part and the people of the district aforesaid who claim to be a separate. Jurisdiction on the other, in the mode prescribed in and by the said Resolutions.

16th Augt 1780. A Commission under a seal in the Instrument called the seal of the State of Vermount authorised Ira Allen and Stephen R Bradly to be their agents.

30th August 1780. A Convention of Committees from several Towns in Cumberland County appoint Luke Knolton Agent in behalf of the Inhabitants of the said County, who are professed subjects of the State of New York to attend the trial before Congress &c.

7th Dec 1780. Pursuant to a vote of a Convention of Representatives from the Towns in the northern parts of the New Hampshire grants on both sides of Connecticut River Peter Olcot and Bezaleel Woodward are empowred jointly and individually to appear as agents for that part of the grants at the hearing proposed by the Resolutions of Congress of the 24th of September to be had before them on the 1st of February following respecting the disputes and differences relative to Jurisdiction between New Hampshire Massachusetts bay and New York, on the one part, and the People on the said New Hampshire grants, on the other, and to act for their Constituents in all matters relative to said grants which shall come under Consideration of Congress.

19th Sept 1780. In order that the Controversy between the States and the People of the grants might not interfere with the Common Course of business it was proposed and agreed by Congress

That when Congress adjourn it be adjourned to 6 o'clock this afternoon. That the order of the day to proceed to hear and examine into and fully determine the disputes and differences relative to Jurisdiction between the three States of New Hampshire Massachusetts bay and New York respectively or such of them as have passed such laws as are mentioned in the

Resolutions of the 24th of September and 2 of Oct last, on the one part, and the People, of the district commonly known by the name of the New Hampshire grants, who claim to be a separate Jurisdiction, on the other, be postponed till 6 o'clock.

And on motion of the Delegates of New York it was ordered that the secretary notify Mess's Ira Allen, Stephen R. Bradly, Luke Knolton and Colonel Olcot to attend this afternoon on the hearing of the Question respecting the Jurisdiction of the tract of Country commonly called the New Hampshire grants.

Six o'clock P. M. Congress met according to adjournment & proceeded to hear; and the persons notified attending when the following papers were read.

The Act of the State of New York of 21st October 1779 and the act of the State of New Hampshire of November 1779 both passed pursuant to the Resolutions of September 24th and October 2a.

The Commission to Ira Allen and Stephen Bradly under the Seal in the instrument called the Seal of the State of Vermount and the Credentials of Luke Knolton as agent in behalf of the Inhabitants of Cumber land County and of Peter Olcot and Bezaleel Woodward Agent from the Towns in the northern parts of the New Hampshire grants on both sides of Connecticut River.

The Delegates of New York, as agents for the said State delivered in sundry papers which were read with an intent to prove that the land known by the name of New Hampshire grants on the west side of Connecticut River is within the State of New York; that the State of New Hampshire have acknowledged this; and that the People on the said tract have been represented in the Legislature of New York since the year

1764.

20 Sept 6 oclock P. M. Congress proceeded to the order of the day the parties being present as yester day; except the Delegate for the State of New Hamp shire who was absent thro sickness when the State of