I have now in my Custody the Stamps Moulds Mills and several other Materials for coining of Dollars (dated. 1760) one crown piece dated 1752, one dollar dated 1766, and one dated 1768 which are all counterfeits & found in the custody of John Searles of Arlington and Comfort Carpenter of Shafsbury which with their own confession upon Oath, was sufficient Evidence to me and after discovering from them all that I could upon Oath I wrote their Mittimus and sent them off to Goal in the charge of two constables and desired as many to their assistance as they thought necessary-the same night they suffered Carpenter to make his Escape, then one of the said Constables pursued after Carpenter and the other went to Goal with Searles, but stoped upon the Road ten days and at last let Searles go about his Bnsiness.

What can a Justice do when the whole Country combinds against him-The very night that I sent these two to Goal some of their associates Brock and Destroyed one of my Pot ash works, which cost me upward of fifty Pound my property is destroyed night and day & durst not say Ill done-by the confession of these Felons (there is a line of money makers) from New Jersey to a place called the Cowas back of New Hampshire I have got the names of 17 more. I have sent after them, but I know that the Constables will not be faithfull for they are its my oppinion less or more conserned-Mr Justice Morison has declined Serving and I hope your Excellency will be pleased to Excuse my acting any longer for I got myself ruined by the conduct of My Good Neighbour this being all at Present

I am with the greatest Submition

Your Excellency

ORDER OF THE NEW YORK COUNCIL

ON RECEIVING INTELLIGENCE THAT THE PEOPLE OF BENNINGTON WERE SENDING AGENTS TO ENGLAND.

In Council, November 25th 1772

His Excellency communicated to the Board the Intelligence he had Received from Major Philip Skene informing him that the Deputies of Bennington and the adjacent Towns, at a meeting at Manchester on the 21st of October, appointed Jehiel Hawley and James Brakenridge their Agents, who are immediately to repair to London to solicit their Petition to his Majesty for a Confirmation of their Claims under the Grants of New Hampshire to Lands within this province. That Brakenridge is instructed by the Bennington people to pray for an Alteration in the Jurisdiction; but that the party by whom Hawley was chosen are satisfied the Jurisdiction should remain as fix'd by his Majesty's Order of the 20th July 1764.

And his Excellency requiring the Opinion of the Board whether it might be proper to add any Thing to the Representations already made on the part of this province-The Council declared that every material Information relative to this Controversy hath been transmitted to his Majesty's Ministers-That the Board is unacquainted with the Character of Mr Hawley, tho' well apprised of that of his Collegue, who is seated on Lands which if ever granted by New Hampshire, were long before patented in the province of New York. That unable to maintain his possession by Law, he had resorted to Force, exciting in others the like dangerous Spirit, and in all the Riots and Violences of the Inhabitants of these Towns, had distinguished himself as a principal aider and abetter, which induced this Government but without any Effect, to Issue a proclamation for apprehending and bringing him to Justice.

That these people had shewn themselves highly unworthy of that Lenity discoverable in the Terms so lately offered them by his Excellency, and which are mentioned in the Report of the Committee of the 1st of July last; for that instead of manifesting their Gratitude on this occasion, by a peaceable Deportment and

patiently waiting the Event of their Applications to the Throne, they had since committed Force on the Lands of Colonel Reid, assaulted and Robb'd a Survey'r employed where they laid no Claim, and Cruelly burn'd and otherways abused one of his attendants: That while they permit no New Settlement to be made by the New York Grantees, they are at this Time establishing themselves on Onion River, upwards of eighty Miles from the Center of their own Settlements, thus artfully endeavouring to support a Claim to the intermediate Territory, under the Weak pretence of Hutts hastily Built on small Spotts of Ground which they Term possession Houses-That they bid Defiance to the Laws and the power of the Civil Magistrates, which are unable to restrain them-And that a Speedy Signification of his Majesty's pleasure on this important subject is become highly expedient, as the only Measure which can either prevent Bloodshed or restore the Tranquility of that part of the province.

REPRESENTATION OF THE BOARD OF TRADE

TO THE LORDS OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL WITH A PLAN FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF THE DIFFICULTIES RESPECTING THE NEW HAMPSHIRE GRANTS.

My Lords

[Lond. Dec: XLIII.1

To the Right Honble the Lords of the Committee of
His Majestys most Honourable Privy Council for
Plantation affairs.

Pursuant to your Lordships orders 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 Majtys Provinces of New York and New Hampshire whereupon we beg leave to report to your Lordships.

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 Massachusets 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 2d 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

grant away a very considerable number of Townships of six miles square each in this County to the Westward of Connecticut River (This proceeding accompanied as it was with other disreputable Circumstances was fully stated in a Representation made to His Majesty by this Board in 1764 wherein it was recommended that His Majesty by his Royal Adjudication and authority should put a period to these animosities and disputes by declaring what should be the Boundary between the Provinces of New York and New Hampshire and in consequence thereof His Majesty was pleased by his Royal order bearing date the 20 day of July 1764 with the advice of this Privy Council to declare that the Western Branch of the River Connecticut from where it enters the Province of the Massachusets Bay as far north as to the 45th degree of Latitude should be the Boundary between the said two Provinces Immediately after this decision which was accompanied with the usual Reservation in Respect to private property Mr Colden upon whom the administration of the Government of New York had devolved, granted warrants of Survey and issued Patents for lands within the limits of several of the Townships granted by the Governors of New Hampshire and several of those Surveys and Patents extending over Land under actual Improvement and settlement the Parties who conceived themselves injured by such proceedings not being able as they alleged to obtain Redress in New York brought their complaint before His Majesty in Council.)

Upon a full hearing of those Complaints His Majesty was pleased by his order in Council of the 24 of July 1767 to declare that no part of Lands lying on the Western side of the River Connecticut, within that district before claimed by New Hampshire should be granted until His Majesty's further pleasure was known and an Instruction was accordingly given to the Governor of New York directing him upon pain of His Majestys highest displeasure not to presume to make any Grant whatever or to pass Warrants for the Survey of any part of the said Lands until His Majesty's pleasure should be signified concerning the same which Instruction has been ever since continued in force and now forms the 49th article of the Code of General Instructions given to Mr Tryon His Majesty's present Governor of New York.