cuted some little Business he has in hand, and which cannot take up more than seven or eight days at most, I have the Honour to be with great Regard and Respect Sir your Excellency's most obed't and most humble Servt His Excellency William Tryon Esquire H. T. CRAMAHE. Quebec 4th August 1773 Sir I am honoured with your Letter of this Day with the Report of the Council of your Government on the Subject Matter of any Letters to you of the 5th and 25th of July. It is with Singular Pleasure I can inform you I accept of and assent to the Terms contained in the Reservations of the said Report at the same Time I assure you it never has been nor is my Wish or Design to take any Advantage either over the Jurisdiction of the Government of Quebec, or of French Claims lying within the Government of New York, but am determined to wait the declaration of the Royal Mind concerning the Premises I own I do not apprehend Hazard in paying Obedience to the King's Proclamation of 1763, and carrying into Execution the reciprocal Obligations of both Governments. : That a Moments Time may not be lost in carrying the Survey of the Partition Line into Execution, I shall leave M' Sauthier in this Town who succeeds Mr Valentine, to attend and act in Conjunction with M' Collins on the Survey, as soon as the little Business you have for M' Collins is executed, which I hope may take less than seven or eight Days. I am with much respect and esteem Sir L' Gov' Cramahe Your Honor's &c &c &c -[N. Y. Council Minutes (MS.), v. 26, p. 367. W TRYON At a Council held at Fort George in the City of New York on Friday, the fifteenth day of October 1773. The following Warrant having been read as usual, was signed by his Excellency the Governor with the Advice of the Council. N° 2233. To his Excellency the Governor for Monies advanced by him for completing the Boundary Line between £107 16. 10. the Colony and Quebec the sum of -[N. Y. Council Minutes (MS.), vol. 26, p. 376. Sir [JOHN COLLINS TO Gov. TRYON.] Montreal 22nd Oct 1778 I have the Honour of your Excellency's favour of the 9th of August, By which I observe you have paid Mr Valentine thirty Six pounds Hallifax Currency and taken up my two Receipts which sum shall be placed to the Credit of your Government in my Acc Current. I am sorry to acquaint your Excellency that the Weit Season which Continued many Days prevented our Compleating the Survey, We had advanced fifty Miles West of Lake Champlain, When we found ourselves in want of provision, the Means we made use of to Obtain provision and the dissappointment we meat with, Will be made known to you by Mr Southier, It is a great pity we should meet with Such disappointments when in the Neighbourhood of Lake S Francois, I am of Opinion the distance does not exceed ten Miles, I wish I could let your Excellency know the Expence that will attend Compleating it, But I apprehend it cannot be very greate, as I imagine a Surveyor and twelve Men May finish the Business and Return within one Month Should your Excellency incline to have it finished either in the Spring or course of next Summer, And not think it an Object Worthy of sending a person on purpose, you May freely Command me on that Service, Provided it be agreeable to our Lieut" Governor, I shall Endeavour to Execute it to the Satisfaction of both Governments. I have the Honour with greate Esteem To be your Excellencys Most Obedient and Humble Servant His Excellency laid before the Board a Letter of the 10th Instant from Thomas Valentine Surveyor on the Part of this Province for running the Boundary Line between the Provinces of New York and Quebec, inclosing his general Account for his Services in that Station which were read, together with a Letter of the 16th Instant to his Excellency from the Surveyor General and several other Letters from and to the said Thomas Valentine which were also read: And thereupon it is ordered by his Excellency the Governor with the Advice of the Council that the said Thomas Valentine do prepare a full Account stating his Demand against the Province with the sums he has received and disbursed for the Service aforesaid. As also a Journal' of his Proceedings and a Map of the Survey and exhibit the whole to the General Assembly for the Consideration of the House at their next Meeting. * -[N. Y. Council Minutes, (MS.), v. 26, p. 377. December 1, 1773. * * His Excellency laid before the Board a Journal'of the Proceedings of John Collins Esquire Surveyor on the Part of the Province of Quebec, and Claude Joseph Sauthier Esquire Surveyor appointed on the Part of this Province, for running the Line between the Governments of New York and Quebec Westward from Lake Champlain in the Latitude of forty five North, to the River St Lawrence, with a Chart or Map of the said Line as far as the same is run. As also a Letter from Mr Collins dated at Montreal the 22a October last, acquainting his Excellency that the wet Season which continued many Days, prevented their completing the Survey. That they had advanced fifty miles West of Lake Champlain when they found themselves in want of Provisions, and the Means they made use of to obtain fresh Supplies disappointed, and that he is of Opinion the Distance left unsurveyed does not exceed ten Miles. Waiting on the Governor this Morning on other Business, he desired I would signify his Request to you to attend the Council on Wednesday next at 11 o'clock in the Forenoon, to inform the Council what passed between you and Mr Valentine as to the Terms or agreement under which he acted as your Deputy in running the Line between The Provinces of New York and Quebec. Sir New York Nov 16th 1773 I Received a letter from Mr Banyar yesterday, Signifying your Request that I would attend the Council tomorrow morning at Eleven o'clock, to Inform them what passed between Mr Valentine and myself as to the Terms under which he acted as my deputy in Running the line between this Province and Quebec, but as my State of health will not permit me to attend, I am oblidged to take this Method of Informing your Excellency that no agreement was made between Mr Valentine and myself Relative to the Wages that he was to Receive as my deputy upon that Survey neither do I know of any agreement that was made wth him, but we both understood that he [would] have the same allowance from the Government for that Service as the Surveyor acting on the part of the Province of Quebec - I am oblidged to desire Mr. Antill to write this and Even Sign my name as I am not able to hold a pen Owing to the weakness of my nerves I am with Great Respect -[N. Y. Col. MSS., c, 34. Your Excellency's Most Obed' ALEX COLDEN Mr Colden presents his most respectful Compliments To His Excellency and agreeable to His Request incloses attested Copys of the Commission of Deputation and Instructions given by him to his Deputy Thomas Valentine for Running the boundary Line between the provinces of New York and Quebec. Colden-Knoll Long Island Dec 9th 1773 His Excellency Governor Tryon -[N. Y. Col. MSS., c, 49. [IN COUNCIL AND GENERAL ASSEMBLY.] January 12, 1774. * Gentlemen of the Council and Gentlemen of the General Assembly, * To remove the Difficulties which obstructed the Completion of the Line in part run between this Province and Quebec, I visited that Government the last Summer, and from the Measures concerted with Lieutenant Governor Cramahé, promised myself this Business would have been effected before the approach of Winter; but the Survey being protracted from the low marshy soil through which the Line. passes, and a Series of unfavourable Weather, the Provisions of the Party were exhausted and being disappointed in their Expectations of a seasonable Supply, the Surveyors were compelled to abandon the Work, leaving unfinished, as they report, a space not exceeding Ten Miles to Lake St. François, where the Survey was to have terminated. An Uncertainty of Jurisdiction being inevitably productive of Discord and Violence, and involving the Inhabitants of the contested Districts in all the numberless and complicated Miseries of a lawless State, with pleasure we bear Testimony to your Zeal and Assiduity in pursuing the great and necessary Object of ascertaining the Boundaries of the Province; and We hope your unwearied Endeavours in that laudable Service will be crowned with the desired Success. We flattered ourselves that the running the line between this colony and the province of Quebec, would have been finally completed last summer; but are disappointed to find that the surveyors were compelled from the want of provisions, to leave the work unfinished, after the trouble your Excellency has taken on this occasion, in visiting that government, and the liberal grants of this colony for that purpose. * By order of the General Assembly, * JOHN CRUGER, Speaker. -[N. Y. Gen. Assembly Journal, 1774, p. 13. |