Gambar halaman
PDF
ePub

LETTERS

FROM THE

SECRETARY OF THE LAND OFFICE

TO THE

STATE COMMISSIONERS

APPOINTED UNDER THE ACT OF APRIL 4TH, 1799.

The Letters which follow are simply designated by Numbers.]

LETTERS FROM THE SECRETARY OF

THE LAND OFFICE

To the Commissioners appointed under the Act of April 4th, 1799.

cess.

(i.)

Land office of Penn'a, Mar. 31, 1801.

Sir: I made two attempts to find you on the 29th without sucA general draught of the lands in the Angle made by the N. Y. line and the East bank of Susqueha. was left at your lodgings. It was prepared for the use of Colonel Abraham Horne of Easton, the Agent under the Act of the 16th Ult. The tracts near the river marked thus, with a Black lead pencil, are possibly within the Seventeen Connecticut Townships. If so they are within your Jurisdiction. It may be well, therefore, to have a Copy made of all that part of the draught which lies between the East Branch of Susq3. and the Curved pencil line which I drew on it; that part of the Map includes all the tracts marked thus, the rest of the Map is necessary for the use of Col. Horne.

After you have caused that part to be Copied, I wish the whole Map transferred by any safe hand to Easton, for Co'. Horn, who lives there. It is very desirable to have this very soon done. I presume M. Sambourne can execute this little Matter for you.

You know that Mess". Thomas Boude, of Columbia, Lanc'. County, Gen'. W". Irvine and Gen'. Andrew Porter, of Montgomery, were the first Comm., and John Shippen, Esq., of Shippensburgh, Pennsyla. was their Clerk. It will be well to ascertain quickly whether all these Gentlemen, of whose resignation you are not Certain, mean to go out. It will be a very desirable thing to have any vacancies filled well and instantly; a very early going out, and a long Season of active and judicious exertions, appear to be necessary. Gen'. Boude will get your letters by post, as he lives at Wright's Ferry; he is chosen for Lancaster County, a Member of the house of representatives, to meet in december next; but if sooner called he must be unable to attend to both. It would be well to ascer

tain his Intentions of serving, and to press upon the Gentlemen the Necessity of going out early and taking order for that purpose soon. A meeting at Lancaster may be useful or Necessary, and will be Convenient to Mr. Boude. It took place last year; every preparatory exertion is necessary to prevent delay, Where Business rests on three Commissioners, a Clerk and the Surveyors. Gen'. Irvine can give you information where to take up the Business, to find the Surveyors, &c.; one of them, M. Samuel Rees may be reached by the Mail to Norristown, in Montgomery County; another, M. Samuel Baird, lives in the same County, and his direction may be had from Mr. Anthony Carothers, Corner of 4th and Branch Streets, above race, or at his Ironmongery Store, almost opposite to M'. Atty. Gen'. McKean. Gen'. Irvine was hourly expected in the City and will be at Mr. Beckley's.

There is another Sheet, like that I left at your house, which joins it on the Southside and on the river; this Mr. Carothers has, and he promised to lend it to me to have copied by a M'. Jones, who lives at Capt. Loxley's, between front and second, in Spruce Street. I think M'. Carothers would lend it to you; have copied all that part within 5 or 6 miles of the river which is in tracts less than 40 acres. quent to the decree of Trenton. the decree of Trenton are less than 400 tracts; the latter then need only be copied, because the former are not within your Jurisdiction.

The 400 acre tracts are subse-
The tracts held by title before

I finish in haste, tho' I had expected to be more full. A person going to-morrow offers to take my letter. I will write again. I am, Sir, very respectfully,

Thomas Cooper, Esq'.

y'. m'. obt. Servant,

TENCH COXE.

You will be pleased to observe I do not Claim to instruct the Commissioners, but in Consequence of your invitation, shall Constantly offer information and suggestions, which appear likely to promote the public interests, or facilitate the operation of the Commissioners.

(2.)

Lancaster, June 2, 1801.

Sir: I find Mr. Wilson is to be here this Evening, so that I have an op. to cover to you a rough Article of Information, which it may be useful to insert in both the papers at Wilkesbarre. I think the publications of facts, from the paper I ad

dress to you in print, will be usefully made in both the federal and republican papers. I shall be glad to receive a file of the federal Newspapers back to March 1, if you Can procure it for the public service and send it to me here, or Under Cover to the Governors, Philadelphia. I am told there are things in it that ought to be disproved and answered.

This Morning about after 11, poor M'. Muhlenberg was taken after an hour's regular Business with an Apoplexy, which threatens him seriously; he would certainly have died had he been alone and in his Bed. He had every Assistance immediately. In haste.

Your most Obedient h. Servant,

Thomas Cooper, Esq., Northumberland.

TENCH COXE.

Late Connecticut Claim * * * the thousand and twelve lots and tracts of Land, formerly claimed under Connecticut, have been submitted by the late Claimants thereof, and Applications have been made to obtain Pennsylvania titles and patents for the same, for a valuable Consideration to be paid therefor by the late Connecticut claimants. The quantity of land is nearly equal to the whole contents of the Seventeen townships. It is known that a very few of the old Settlers have omitted to submit, but it is plain that the Numbers and the extent of their Claims must be very small since there is very little land in in the Seventeen townships, that is not submitted. It appears that the Pennsylvanians have been so respectful to the plan of the State, and so liberal towards the old Settlers, as to release very large quantities of land. These releases appear to be much greater than the quantity reported to the Commissioners under the Confirming as belonging to the Pennsylvanians within Townships. Those Commissioners reported about 110,785 Acres.

Gentlemen:

(3.)

Lancaster, June 3, 1801.

It is probable that it will be useful to publish the letter of Mess. Tilghman and Hodgdon, with the form of disclaim and Submission in the Wilkesbarre papers. Copies are in the enclosed Lancaster paper of this day. In the same paper is an Article with respect to the Commissioners under the Lancaster head, which it may be well to have republished, as it shews the great extent of the Submissions; the incipient droppings of the Waters of truth of important facts is necessary to Conviction in prejudiced Minds.

« SebelumnyaLanjutkan »