The Connecticut courant — Hartford, Conn., 1774-04-19 00:00:00, page 3

prtiohr fotereft, determed it io favour of the
colony.
Farther, this Sentiment which the objection
would iofibuate is big wiih the molt dangerous
and abfard conferences, and has a meft mif
ebtevoos and deftioftive afoc&. For if charters
ere not legal conveyance, of lands, jntifdiaien,
and privileges, and are not to ba confirmed and
afted upon according to the true and oatoral
meaning of what they express, explained and
uadeiftood in the mo 4 favourable point of light
for the fevcral corporations to which they are
granted, but on'y to be confiJered and ?&cd
upon in a political view at the kiog and his
council Shall judge bed far them, then they are
good for nothing, they arc no security at all,
and there is io fad nothing granted, conveyed
or ftcored by them. They leave matters just ts
they found them: This is at once, in eflfea,
to dcmol (h all charters and patents. If what
the ebjeflioo seems to aim at were true, corpo
rations are just as well without them as with
them. They are left wholly at the arbitrary
will of their sovereign and the royal declaration
under the broad seal Rands for nothing This
is a principle therefore too sbfard and (hocking
to be admitted. It is ilo contrary to what is
true io fia. Charters and royal conveyances
ere not viewed and treated in this manner, nor
have they been. But on the contrary, jurifdiai
on, privileges, and property have been, time
immemorial, cochdered as legally conveyed and
# fecurel by them agreeably to the natural and
genome meaning of them ; and have been look-
ed upon as the mod permanent security, which
fabjrfh can have, of right and property. In fine
the fa,politico that royal inftrum:rr% under the
great seal, are binding only so far as (hall please
she kiog, and that what he is to regard in de
termining points relative to them is not what is
just and legal, but what (hall Suit his own con
venie^ce, at that time, at once renders the k'ng
and his council ridiculous, tends to deffroy all
rootml confidence between him and the lubjea,
and is pregnant with dedruftioo to all civil
peace, liberty and happioefri
But to admit, for once, the (hrcwd fuppofci
c% which may by no means be admitted, arc
there cot political reasons which will operate
snore forceably io favour of Connecticut than cf
Mr. Penn ? Ifthe government look wi s h an
Farions and unfriendly eye on the liberties cf
Conreaicut do they not with equal, yea with
ranch greater concert)view the growing wealth
and power cf Mr, Penn? Can there be any
thing more dangerous, to kings than fo'j?&s
^ffeffiog such immeofe wealth faeh extent of
territory, and -being at the head of foch a num
ber of people ? Should he be allowed to possess
all the lands within the limits cf bis charter,and
Should they all be once well fett'ed he would
doabtlefs be the most opulent and formidable
fairies which ever was in the British empire.
The famous and powerful ear! Goodwin, whole
son made hi, way to the throne of Britain,
docbtlcfs was not, so wealthy and powerful a
fabjrd as will be the governor of Pennfyi.
v^wheo this mallonce be effeaed. It muff
therefore be pee of the greatest binders io po
liticks, to fuffer him to possess so fine and ext.cn.
five a country This would both endanger the
peace of the crown and the liberties of Ameri
ca. It woo ! d lay a fatal foundation for his set
ting himfelfnp, in feme future period, to be
the Grand Monarch of North America.
Further nothing can be more impolitic than
to disregard ancient patents and chancre, and to
give final decisions, on them with regard either
to liberty or property,contrary to what is grant-,
ed and (ripened in them, coe fifteot with their
most natural and hvourab e conftrnaion ? This
would at once proftiiute the court of king arid
council, and render it contemptible; ft would
bean attempt upon & in effe&,a Striking at all
the charters and corporations in the nation. Feb
the'recan be no violation or infrr&oo of charter
rights nod privileges, on the part of the crown,
bit what affeda the nation in general. This
bath ever been found dangeious to kings, arid
has in some ioftarces, (taken them from the
Carene, lit is a point of politicks highly impor
rant to maintain the reputation and honor of
flatideal courts. Were policy therefore to go #
tern io the decifioc of the cause depending be
v <ma the two colooici, i mud thick, that^t^
I am now prepared to encounter the other
objeaicu, which is truly the most extraordinary
and marvellous I believe ever advanced : That
if we should obtain the cootefted lands it would
finally undo us. '' A viaory muff be abfo'ote
ruin to the colony'" Wonderful faying ! The
ptff Ilion of a large tra& of the fined land io the
world will undo us ! Did farmers ever come in
to this feotimeot, or will they ever imbibe it,
that good farms will undo them ? Are the/rge
politicians who trump op this objection afraid,
indeed ofbeing undone by firms and money ?
Will it undo our farmers to have fine trads of
land, on which they may fettle their foes and
plant new townihips, and new churches, under
one of the most mild and free governments cp
ob earth ? Will this be more ruinous than for
them to emigrate into other governments, and
pay large quit rents, where the hods are left
ferric and the winters much longer and more
severe ? Some where they most and will go° It
is thought that not less than go 000 fouls have
emigrated from this colony into other parts in
about twelve or fourteen years prit Would it
be more ruinous to retain these our children
io our own family to protea and nourih them
under our own wing, and to receive aid & help
from them, in common with others of our fel
low co'onifts ? 4s it more eligible to have them
tributaries and payers of quit rents abroad,
where neither civil or religious peace and fiber
ty can be.fo amply enjoyed, as io this colony,
than to fettle them on their own lands, and
within their own ju<ifdi&ion ? Will a tra& of
country which might be fold for fame handled
thoufaud sterling and make a public food fefi ri
ent annually to pay all our publick expet cea
to the end of time, enrich our college and fop
port all the Schools in the colony utterly ruin
it ? Is not such an effirmaticn most afton'Shing
and wounderful? ,
Let us attend raore fericufly to this matter.
Delaware river which is the western
boundary of the province of New York, is in a
bout 76 degrees of w.ft longitude t.kiog it at a
medium ; the river M ffifippi which is the
boundary between the English and French fet
elements is in about 90 degrees of weft lcrgi<
tude. There is therefore an extent of country
of 14 degrees of longitude between the two ri
vers A degree of longitude, in the latitude
of New Haven, which is about 41 degrees 19
minuses north, upon the most accurate cempo
tatioo, is a litte more than 52* Eoglilh miles :
So that the whole length of the territory is a
bout 730 miles' Here is land enough for eight
or pine foch colonies, as Conneaicat, reckoning
only that part ofit weft of New-T^rk Nowoo
the fnppofitino that Conn^aicut Should make a
formal refignaticn es the whole territory to the
crown excepting that.part of itwbich is camprifed
in the patent of Sir Witliam Penn, direfFy weft
of the cafterD part of this, colony. there will re
main to the government an extent of country
about 73 miles in breadth and latitude, and 5
degrees, or 260 mics in longitude and length.
This will contain more than twelve millions of
acres.which could it befold only at twelve pence
per acre would raise a publick fund of £ 600,
coo the interest of which at fix per centum per
anrtum would be £36 000 Should we sup
pofc that the lands already purchased ty the
Sufeuehannah company contain one third of
this trad, and that they Should be allowed to
p)flcfs all they hare purchased, apd, on this
principle, Should make a deduction of one third
fromihe sum already mentioned, there would
remain an aont?,l income to the colony of
£. 24 oco This would be (efficient to pay
a*; the charges of government, to fopport all
our Schoo's & amply to endow our college,pro
bab'y, as long as the fun & moon (hall endure.
in this case, it would be given in favour of Con^
ct&cut,
.* A degree on the Equator is estimated at 69
English statute miles, and 172 rods, commonly
6, mile^half Agreeably to this estimation a de
grte b, longitude in the latitude ofAl degrees 19
minutes will be found on an accurate computati
on to be 52 miles an„7 rods. When wefpeak
of fa 1 , miles to a degree st the Equator, we
speak es geographic mstes, of fab miles there are
about 4) and 24 rods to a degree of longitude
in this latitude.
Is it objected, that the weflern part of the
colony will very (ogo be the biggest, and cur
Affenblics and Courts will be removed fr;m
their ancient fats, the reply is,that the Affcm
bly has been fixed by ancient ads and folcmn
compaft, for many years,—at Hartford sod
New Haven, which, it is apprehended, cannot
be violated. Besides it will be easy for the As
sembly to provide agrinft this, by the making of
large towns, and fixing the number of members
which they (hall fend to the Assembly. This
ravy be as firmly and unalterably fixed as was
the number of peers in Scotland at the union of
the two kingdoms, of Erg 'and and Scotland.
Asto all other coons d:ftib& circuits may
be made and justice adminiOeted with the great
off facility without any kind of detriment to
this part of the colony.-
The province of Mafocbufetts cxercife ju
rifuiftion over the province es Main which lies
call of New Hampshire, and is devideJ from
the other part of the Province, by that colony,
just as Connecticut it derided by New York.
The provioce of Main is about as large, as to
territory, as the other part of the province of
Mafoch^/etts Bay, and the extreme parts cf it
to lie near two hundred mitts from the feat of
Thedireafon of the whole affair will oe un
der the canGderatiog of the General Affcmbly
and in their power ; and is it not a most abfard
foppefi ion, that there are not men of (Efficient
abilities, in this eolony, to improve foch an sc
tydfirien,great/, to the public emolument ?
Is it objected that (heuld such an acquifiticn
be made, there would be such an emigration, at
once, from this colony as would depreciate cur
lands and impoverish this part of it ? 1 enquire
whether it is not in the power of the Assembly
to condoa this matter so as that the colony
(hall not receive any coofidetabfe damage in this
way ? V,il they not have power to determine
what lands shall be fettled and what (hall not ?
&c.
government. .. r
The province of New York is mere than
two hundred and Hfiv mi e^ in length, never
thclefs, it has not as yet been, and 1 believe ne
ver will be ruined by po&ffiog and enjoying
foch an extenSve territory. I never heard or
read of any colony that was totally ruined by
this means. I may therefore fafely conclude,
that this will not be absolute ruin to this colony*
. It (hall only be farther observed on this
head, that ffiould the co ony, upon trial, find
that it is like to rain them, it will be an easy
matter to resign it to the crown, to make sale of
it, for a vast sum, or if they can do no better
they may.make a prefect ofit to the authors of
the admirable o^ftiov under consideration;
who, I am perfw^ded, would accept it, and for
once run the awful rift of the cons quecces.
The public will now be able with very little
affilance to forma probable and rational opini
on with regard to the advantages and disadvan
tages of a trial of the Sufquebannab cause.
. The advantages will be great and many
ffiould it finally iffoe in our favour., A fine in
bereft will be secured to thousands of our fellow
colooids, who are fettled and fettling on the
weftero lands, and who, ptherwife, many of
them must be abfolutcly ruined in their effaces
and driven back on this colony in utmoff pover
ty, to gar great trouble and expeoce. The in
habitants of the colony, will by such an uqni
frion, be able to fettle their poffcrity ma
fertile country, in the fame latitude with our
own, under the enjoyment of all the privileges
of this free and excellent cooftituticn. The
government will have lands enough to fell, as
well as to fettle ; by the file of which it may
be greatly enriched, our schools and college re
ceive a more ample support, and a gre^t part, if
mot the whole of our public expences be defray,
cd. Conne&icot would be raised to a degree
of importance end influence in the American
colonies, to which (he bad ever before been an
entire Granger : The growing wealth and pow
er of the Pewns, receive a noble check, and
they would become less dangerous to the crown,
and to the liberties of America. These arc
advantages great sod definable indeed !
Ox the other hand the difidraotages in case
the suit goes sgainft as will be difappoiotment,
and the loss of eighteen pence or two (hillings
on each hundred pound, io the general lift ;