The Documentary history of the state of New-York; arranged under direction of the Hon. Christopher Morgan, secretary of State. By E. B. O'Callaghan ...

NEW HAMPSHIRE GRANTS. 833
ford, an ill use may be made of the generosity of the Plan by a
concert between the New York Patentees, and the Massachusett's Possessors to set up a very extravagant demand of
fifty acres for every three that are improved by the latter,
beyond the partition, and within the letter of the New York
Patents, the Proprietors of which have made no improvements
there, as I have already observed, and who, (the extent of their
Grants remaining out of controversy considered with the smallness of the rents they are chargeable with) ought to be content,
though they should receive no allowance.
But the chief objection that will be raised against any Law
grounded upon the plan proposed by the Lords of Trade will
relate to the second and third articles of it, which respect the
disposition of the Country to the Northward of the Massachusett's
Bay.
I presume that their Lordpps were not aware that the curve
line they propose for the western side of that immense Tract
which is the object of their Report, will run to the Westward of
Lake Champlain, before it reaches the Northern extent of tlis
Provee in the latitude of 45~ But this, My Lord, will be the
Fact, for tlhe the course of the River from Albany is Northerly
to about 3 miles to the North of Fort Edward, yet it then takes
a turn for several miles to the Southward of west, and then
again a Northerly direction as far as it has been explored, many
miles to the westward of the Lakes George and Champlain.
And as the River Connecticut on the other side, tends so far to the
Eastward of the Northi as at the 45th degree of latitude to be
ninety one miles from Lake Champlain, your Lordp will perceive,
that the Report of the Board of Trade must effect a great number
of Patents Granted under this Governt, and give a preference to
the New Hampshire Claims home to the waters of Lake
Champlain, and to lands three times as far west as the Curve line
would leave to the Massachusett's Bay, where the intermediate
distance between such curved line and the Connecticut River,
does not exceed thirty miles; the Rivers Hudson and Connecticut being there not more than fifty miles apart, and were probably
thought to keep that distance when the Lords of Trade first
conceived the idea of countenancing an extent of the N. England
VOL. Iv. 53