taking and a good one, for I really believe, if we do not settle it the French mill for 'tis the main passage made use of by the Indians from Canada to this country, and if we can fix there, which 500 such men as are going (barring the particular frowns of Providence) mauger all the efforts of the Indians-I say if this is once effected there will be ever a large stock of Provision enough for an army of men to march to Canada which from thence may easily be done in three or four days to the very river of Canada, the men already Enlisted are well versed in the Indian warrs & are under little concern for their opposition. I mentioned above the French settling this Tract of Land & why should it be Questioned-'tis much nearer to them than Crown Point, I suppose near half the Distance, less Expense would do it & when don 'tis the cream of the country, the Intervale land on both sides the river for 30 or fifty miles successively in many places a mile wide, where at the first you have little to do but Plow, it being generally clear like a salt marsh & but about 40 or 50 miles Distance from many of our new settlements, that should the French once get footing there we should be so far from enlarging our own Borders that it would soon be a means of Driving in many of our new settlements. The last of these were motives no Doubt that induced the French to settle Crown Point, a place maintained at a great Expence & the Land about it not capable of any tolerable Improvement and at a greater Distance from both French & English & of consequence Less detrimental to the one & more Expensive to the other. The Projection for our settling is—These 400 or 500 men is to have a suitable portion of Land, on ye King's quit-rent, Land cut into Townships for them-2 of which, one on each side the river opposite to each other Immediately taken into Possession & a regular Garrison built in each of them, encompassing perhaps 15 or more acres of Land, this to be enclosed, with Log-houses at some distance from each other, and the spaces filled up with either Palisades or Square timbers, in the middle of the square something of the nature of a Cytidall where the Public Buildings & Granarys &c. will be built & to be large enough to contain all the Inhabitants, if at any time drove from the outer Enclosure which is to be large enough to contain their cattle &c. These fortifications are to be built so as to assist each other on every occasion. They are to have courts erected & to have Power of Determining all causes civil causes amongst themselves & to be under a stricter military Discipline than commonly our Militia arc. These men are now solliciting these Grants of the Govr & Council & have a memorial before the Gen1 Assembly also for some assistance in this undertaking; we are really so much in debt that I fear they will not obtain any great matters but something I believe will be done to assist them either in cutting roads to the Place or granting a suitable number waiges for some time & as they Propose two roads, one near Connecticut river from the Towns now Settling above or north of the Province Line & the other directly down to our settlements on Merrimack river. Now in case we meet with any trouble about fort Dummer it will Discourage this Project intirely, for if after 10 years deliberation the Massachusetts Grantees that claimed the Land about fort Dummer & 30 miles above have at last Petitioned this Governm for the King's grant & have obtained agreeable to his Majestys Instruction, if. I say they should meet with any Discouragement & the King's grant not held to be good to ye People involved in ye case, (1) no person would go to Coos: If on the other haud any sum of money should in any way be taken from us for support of fort Dummer which never was of any service to ye Prov. we should not have it in the power of the Governm to assist these new settlements. These affairs are matters of such consequence to this country in general that when I begun I could not help Inlarging upon it for your Information. & Now give me leave to mention something once more (1) These words in the copy are interlined and the writing scarcely legible.-ED. in relation to the Canada accounts, only this Pray let me know weither those articles charged by the Treasurer here to me & mentioned in his acets sent home I think 4 articles for waiges, cloathing, great coats for those men that went to Annapolis Royal & £100 for Blankets were allowed at home. I possibly may meet with Difficulty with the Assembly here if it is not ascertained. Pray also let me know the Balance of each officer now in your hands that they may draw on you for the Ballance if any of them are in credit with you. I have shown them your acct. but as they have not kept any acct what they have ordered and still are in the Dark, all the want is the Exact sum they may draw for. I know there is but few if any, & therefore can't take up much time only to send a List of y names & the several ballances annexed. Particularly let me have Lieut. Coll. Wentworths & Insign Hugh Hall Wentworths if the Executor to Capt. Rymes Estate does not receive the whole I fear I shall be bro't in for the residue being his bonds" which I long since mentioned to you. I now write to you & comp" on our Private affairs to which give me leave to referr you, & am with the greatest esteem, Letter to Capt. Phineas Stephens about Cho-o8. [Copied from MS. Corr. Vol. II. p. 67.] Portsmo, March 4th 1752. SR. This will be forwarded to you by Capt. Symes of Winchester to whom his Excellency the Govern has given a warrt of which the Endorsed is a copy. This Gentleman, Capt. Symes, opportunely happened here while the Govn" was concerting measures to make the attempt of settling Cho-os & had(1) Engaged Col. Blanchard in Quest of a suitable number of suitable men for this undertakeing & it being agreeable to Capt. Symes' views in coming into these parts he the more readily Eugaged in undertaking to make a Tryal of s affair. Now ST, what occasions you this Trouble is to acquaint you that I know it will be very agreeable to his Excellency (if you approve the Scheem) if you will joyn Capt. Symes in advice & Endeavours to forward this undertaking, he is master of the Governor's Scheme & Intentions & very desirous of your being concerned. Therefore will let you into the whole affair, to him I beg leave to referr you & am Your very Humble Serv P. S. If it suits your Inclination to Engage in this affair & it will be of any service to the cause or Pleasure to you & you'l let me know by a line I'le send such a warr as ye Enclosed to you. [NOTE. This letter, though without a signature, is evidently in the hand-writing of Secretary Atkinson.-ED.] Fryday Nov 24th 1752. Met according to adjournment. The House adjournd till three of the clock in the afternoon by order of the Speaker. (1) This word "had" is doubtful-it may be who, or it may read was Engaged by.-ED. Post Meridiem. The House taking under further consideration the memorial of Capt. William Symes & a motion being made that the following Question be put namely Whether the said memorial shall lay until his Majesty's pleasure can be known thereon and he can be addressd to obtain his leave in some method to defray the charge of defending those settlements therein referred to-which Question was accordingly put and it pass'd in the affirmative. Jedediah Philbrick Esq, dissents against the above vote. Matthew Livermore dissents against the above vote. The House adjourned till tomorrow morning nine o'clock. Saturday Nov 25th 1752. Met according to adjournm'. [P. 269.] The memorial of Capt. Wm Symmes with the vote thereon sent up to the Council by Mr. Lovewell. The act relating to the Small Pox passd this day and sent up by Capt. Wentworth and Mr. Knight. Mr. March dissents to the vote passd last night Relating to ye memorial of Capt. Symmes. Capt Jenness dissents to the afores vote. The Secretary brought into the House the memorial of Capt. Symmes with the vote of this House thereon and having mentioned several objections the Council made unto the vote thereon left the said memorial and vote for the further consideration of the House. The Secretary came into the House and said he was directed by his Excellency to adjourn the General Assembly till Monday next at twelve of the clock at Noon and accordingly adjourned the same. [P. 270.] Monday Nov 27th 1752. A number of the House met but not the Speaker. The Secretary came into the House and said he was directed by his Excellency to adjourn the Gen' Assemby till three of the clock in the afternoon and accordingly adjourned the same. Post Meridiem. A number of the members met but not the Speaker. The Secretary came into the House and said he was directed by his Excellency to adjourn the Gen' Assembly till tomorrow morning and accordingly adjourned the same. Tuesday Nov 28th 1752. Met according to adjournment. The Act relative to the repairing of highways passd to be enacted by the House, and sent up by Mr March & Mr Sanders. The Secretary came into the House and brought in three Petitions namely one from Mr. Joshua Pickerin, one from Mrs Mary Avis Executrix &c. and one from Mr. James Hodges(a) and left them in the House, he also said he was directed by the Council to enquire whether the House had acted anything upon the memorial of Capt. Symmes which was recommended by the Council last Saturday. (a) Jour. of C. & Ass. Nov. 28, 1752. A petition issued by Matthew Livermore Esq. as attorney to and in behalf of James Hodges of Boston marriner setting forth that he recovered judgment and had execution agst one Benja Littleton and one Grotster for sundry sums in the said petition mentioned and that in virtue thereof the said Littleton & Grotster were comitted to Goal and after made their escape, and that he had Bro't his actions as the Law Direct Agst the Sheriff but fail'd in s action the Jury declaring the Escape was made thro' the Insufficiency of the Goal and Prayed relieff of the Gen' Assembly therein-read & sent Down by Mr. Atkinson Adjourned by order of the Speaker till three of the clock after noon. Post Meridiem. Met according to adjournment. [P. 271.] The House taking under consideration the vote sent to the Council upon the memorial of Capt. Symmes which vote was passed last Friday and on Saturday last was brought down to the House for their further consideration-voted that the said vote be Reconsidered. The House adjourned till tomorrow morning nine of the clock by order of the Speaker. Wednesday Nov 29th 1752. Met according to adjournm' Mr. Secretary brought into the House a petition of Coll. Sherburn and others & left sd Petition with the House, also said he was directed by the Council to enquire whether the House had done anything relating to the memorial of Capt. Symmes. In an swer to which Mr. Knight was ordered to Inform the Council that the House had now that affair under consideration, and Mr. Knight accordingly waited upon the Council and delivered the message. The House adjourned for two hours by order of the Speaker. Post Meridiem. Met according to adjournment. Upon Reconsidering the memorial of Capt William Symmes and it appearing that it will be of advantage & Benefit Not only to this [P. 272.] Government but also to many other of his Majesty's Governments in North America if the lands mentioned in the said Memorial were settled by his Majesty's subjects and possession thereof kept and maintained by them, and whereas in the Act Entitled an Act for emitting the sum of twenty-five thousand Pounds in Bills of Credit on this Province equal to so much Proclamation money, upon Loan and for granting unto his Majesty the Interest in the said act mentioned, There is (of the said Interest) the sum of one Thousand Pounds for cutting Roads, Employing proper persons to search out and take plans of such parts of the Province as shall be ordered by the General Assembly, which sum hath not been improved and applyed as yet for the ends and purposes aforesaid-Therefore Voted That so much of the said sum of one Thousand Pounds part of said Interest as shall be necessary therefor be improved and employed to and for the cutting of Roads & Building of Bridges to and from said Coos, Namely from Number Four so called on Connecticut River to s place called Coos, and from said Coos to Canterbury in sd Province, if it shall appear to be best and most beneficial to cut said Road from said Coos to [P. 273.] Canterbury afores", otherwise in the best place that can be found to come to the nearest convenient landing in the way from sd Coos to Portsmouth in s Province as shall be agreed upon by the Committee that shall be agreed upon and appointed by the three Branches of the General Assembly for that purpose, and that the Person or Persons with whom the said Committee shall agree to cut the said Roads and build the said Bridges shall not be entitled to receive or have any pay or satisfaction for any thing they shall do in cutting said Roads or building said Bridges in any place beyond Canterbury aforesaid unless there shall be grants obtained by the said William Symmes for himself and associates or by any others for four Townships (of six miles square or equal thereto each) for four hundred men at said place call'd Coos and that there be four hundred effective men (at least) at said Coos by the last day of May next in a suitable posture for sitting down there in order for making a settlement in said place and cultivating & improving the said lands. And that Richard Jenness Esq and Mr. Jonathan Lovewell be a Committee of this House to joyn such as shall be appointed by the Honble the Council to effect the Busi[P. 274] ness aforesaid in the best manner they can; and further Voted, That the said committee be and hereby are impowered to draw out of the Treasury so much of the said one thousand Pounds Interest of said Loan as shall be necessary to pay and satisfy for the ways that shall be cut and the Bridges that shall be built in consequence of and agreeable to this vote, and that the said Committee make Report to the General Assembly from time to time of what they shall do relating to the premises and render |