Since that Government might have made ample provision for the persons who had done these Services in the Province of Main, where they have more than one hundred Miles Square ungranted.

I have made the Nicest Enquiry how far the Grantees have proceeded to Comply with the Terms of the Grants, according to the practice and Custom of that Government, and find that few or none have Comply'd, and many of the Towns have not made the Least advance towards it: where I have found any Inhabitants, I have Incouraged them to remain on the Lands, untill His Majesties Pleasure shall be known thereon.

Upon the grants of Townships on the West side of Merrimack, and the private grants, lying between the Rivers Merrimack and Connecticut, I have demanded the advice of His Majesty's Council, Who unanimously advised me to have no regard to any grants made by the Massachusetts on those Lands, inasmuch as there was no reaserve made of the pine trees growing thereon for His Majesty's Service, and that the Grants were made even while the appeals lay before His Majesty: In which point I am very clear my Self, but as I would act Cautiously in this Case; I shall hope to receive your Lordships directions therein, which I shall esteem a better authority, than my own opinion, or the advice of the Council.

B. The Gov desires the Boards directions in relation to Grants of Land made by the Massachusetts Govt to the west of Merrimack River in the Province of N. Hampshire.

The removal of this Impediment will have the greatest tendency to Increase this Province, when the affairs of Europe are Settled, at Present the Inhabitants are discouraged from making Settlements far back. Least there should be a French war. But I am very Certain that in four or five years after a General peace is Concluded, and all Impediments removed, New Hampshire will near double her Inhabitants.

C. He complains of a hardship in being restrained to the Small Grants of fresh Land to new Settlers.

By His Majesties Instructions I am restrained from granting more than fifty acres of Land to each person belonging to a family Servants Included, which I hope your Lordships will permit me to Say, is not so well Calculated for the Northern Governments on the Continent, because few or none of our Inhabitants, have any Servants Blacks or Whites, their familys consisting of the Man, his Wife and Children, and therefore the practice of granting Townships in this Government has allways been to grant Six Miles Square to not less than Sixty Such familys, and not more than one hundred, Re

serving in each Town five hundred acres for the Minister, and five hundred acres for the School, the grantees being obliged in five years after the Date of the Charter to Erect a House for the Public Worship, to clear and Improve Ten acres of Land, and build a House and other suitable Conveniencies for each family and go on with additional Improvements, otherwise the Charter is Vacated, and the Land reverts to the Crown.

D. He says the old Manner of granting Lands to new Settlers is much the best for the increase of People in N. Hampshire.

The Increase of this Province is not so much owing to Strangers comeing into it as to the Natural Increase of the Inhabitants, in this manner, Such as have large familys of Children, and small Possessions in the old Towns, sell these small tracts, and with the money, purchase Cattle, and other necessaries, in order to make improvements in the New Towns, for the benefit of their Children, and unless they can have from three to five hundred acres to a family, they don't think it a Suitable Incouragement, as the Lands before their Labour, and Industry is Laid out upon it, is of Little or no Value. As His Majesties 40th Instruction now stands, it will introduce a New method of Granting Lands in this Province, which I conceive may hinder the Settlement of the Kings Lands, as no inconveniency has heitherto arisen to the Crown, in the manner Lands have heretofore been granted, it will be more Incouraging to the Inhabitants to have the grants made in the way they are already acquainted with, (reserving the Quit rents to His Majesty, which I have taken a great deal of pains to reconcile the people to,) Least Evil minded persons should Lay Stumbling blocks in the way, in order to draw them off to other parts, where they are under no restraint whatsoever. I must beg leave to observe to your Lordships, that by His Majesty's Instructions I am not permitted to grant Townships to any Society of persons whatsoever, let the advantage be never so apparently beneficial to the Crown, I mention this because I have had Sundry applications from persons of ability and Substance, (whose Inclination. leads them to remove into this part of the world) in the North of Ireland and in England, who would oblige themselves to Settle and Improve Several Townships, with Sixty familys Each, within five years of the date of the Grant, and bring over Considerable Substance with them, in order to Erect a Linen Manufactory, and the raiseing Hemp and

E. He wants power to grant Townships to Societies who would go from England & Ireland on those Conditions.

Great advantages Flax. If I might be permitted to Expected from Settling give Incouragement to these Gentlemen, Townships by English it would give a New Spring to this and Irish who under- Province, and might be a means of Setstand how to raise tleing a great part of the Kings Lands, Hemp & Flax. which otherwise will Lay uncultivated for many years. The flourishing State of Pennsylvania is in a great degree owing to the Introduction of Strangers, and the Natural Increase of our Inhabitants will make but Slow advances in cultivating that great body of Land to the Westward of Merrimack, and to the Northward of the great Lake or Pond Winepiseoka, where the Lands are thought to be more Natural for raiseing hemp and Flax than for Corn, and the present Inhabitants are wholly unacquainted with Hemp, and very little with Flax, therefore I am of the opinion that nothing will be more advantageous to the Crown, than the Introduction of such people, the Kings Lands will be Sooner Cultivated, and Improved, and the Quit rents more regularly paid, and more Easily Collected.

F. a Difficulty appears in Levying quit rents in the Lands within the ancient bounds of New Hampe on which he desires Instructions.

The last thing I shall trouble your Lordships with, is upon the Subject of quit rents, which By His Majestys 39th Instruction is General, and without reserve, in all grants to be made by me. The original Grant from the Crown of New Hampshire was to Extend Sixty Miles from the Sea into the main Land, and the present Inhabitants haveing been at great Expence in defending this grant, think that so far as that Grant Extended, the Land ought not to be Subject to Quit rent, there being no mention made of it in the first grant. The assembly has desired me to Satisfie them in that point, which I have defer'd till I had Stated the Case to your Lordships.

That Tract of land from Merrimack river down to the Sea is generally granted into Townships, and from the South End of Winepiseoka pond East to Newichwannok River, there remains only Land for five or six townships according to the best accounts I can have.

And if it should be His Majesty's Pleasure to let the Quit rents Commence to the Westward of Merrimack, the Crown could only Loose the Quit rents of about five or Six Townships, and the difficulties would be removed I should otherwise meet with, and the Inhabitants would have no great reason to Complain of any hardships on that account.

The agent for the Province will receive directions from the General Assembly to use his endeavours to obtain a dismission of the

G. The agent of the Province will endeavour to have Mr Hutchinsons Petitions dismissed at the Council office.

Petitions presented by Thomas Hutchinson Esq' at the Council office, and I hope your Lordships will take the difficulties, and Impediments I have mentioned under Consideration, for the Situation the Inhabitants are now in, who hold under the Massachusetts grants on the Strip of Land, between the Province line, and Kingston Chester and London-Derry, will finally Impoverish both sides, they have already had some Tryalls in our Courts, tho' Contrary to my advice, and the Jurys have allways found against the Inhabitants in possession, under grants of the Massachusetts.

I have in the best manner I could Stated to your Lordships, the Impediments to the Increase of this Government, and the difficulties. I may Expect to meet with, in respect to grants of Land, and the Quit rents arising to the Crown, all which I humbly Submit to your Lordships, and beg leave to subscribe myself

My Lords your Lordships Most faithfull Servant

B. Wentworth The Right Honble the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations

[3-111] [Committee's Report relative to Men Raised in 1743.]

Province of New Hampshire February 27th 1744In Pursuance of a Vote of the General Assembly bearing date Jany 30th 1744-appointing Us a Committee to enquire into the Grants that have been made of Men in the Year past, for the defence of the Government to receive the Muster Rolls consequent thereupon, Examine them, & make Speedy Report unto the Generall Assembly, In Order for their Allowance, having taken into Consideration the same, make Our Report as follows - Vizt

That in May 23d 200 Men were granted for One Month

amos to

That June 23d 150 Men were granted half a month at 25/
as above

That July 16th 30 Men were granted One Month at 25/
That Aug 23d 40 men were granted One Month at Do
That Dec 21st 21 men were granted Two Months at Do

wch amounts to in the Whole

Upon Carefully Examining the Muster Rolls, wee also find that there has been a number of Men under Command of Coll° Peter Gilman from 25th of May to the 23d July follows amounting to as by his Accot £90,, 17,, 5

also Collo Joseph Blanchard at 25/ Each man m°
according to the time being from 27th May to the
3d Septem' follows amod to asaccot

Capt Henry Sherburn from 29th May to 26th Sep' follow-
ing as by Two Muster Rolls amounts
Capt John Gage from 30th Augt to 26th Sep' follows
Capt Jona Chesly for 16 days

Capt Jerem Clough from 26 of June to 18th Decem1 by
Two Muster Rolls

Benja Mathews for Two Muster Rolls for 24 days

amounts to

Josiah Willard from 30th May to 6th Sep1 follows amounting to

[3-112]

Amount of Muster Rolls

163,, 12,, 10

88,, 12,, 6

15,, 10

29,, 16

41,, OI,, IO

[Warrant for the Arrest of Cyprian Jaffrey, for an Assault on a Member of the House, 1744]

Province of To the Sheriff of the Province of New Hamps* New Hamps

Greeting

Whereas Cyprian Jeffrey of Portsmouth in Said Province L. S. Shopkeeper On the thirteenth Day of february Instant at Portsmouth aforesaid made an assault on the Body of Thomas Wallingsford of Dover in Said Province Esq' Then and now being a member of the House of Representatives for Said Province during the Sitting of the General Assembly of Said Province and him the Said Thomas Wallingsford then and there Evilly treated affronted & abused Which the Said House have Voted to be an Insult affront And Indignity offered to the Said House And that the Said Cyprian Jeffry should be forthwith bro't before the House to be Examined touching the Premises and Dealt with According to the Laws & Customs in such case made used & Approved