The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1825-09-28


the Massachusetts Commissioners will be as
unwilling 10 yield to w-llampshire, as the
Commissioners Of the latter State will be 10
concede that it belongs to the former.n Az
Ter quoting the above, the Editor of the Bos-
ton Daily Advertiser adds
off the editor of the New Hampshire
Patriot supposes that the commissioners
have any authority to adjudicate res
pecting any purloined territory, on one
side or the other, we believe he is mis-
taken. Il is their duty to ascertain the
line already established, and not to es.
tablish new one Neither Legislature
could have been SO absurd as 10 wish 10
revive controversy which has been at
rest for nearly century. lift could be
an object to either party TO revive this
controversy, it certainly would not be to
New Hampshire We belive there has
been no diversity of opinion, among
those who have considered the question
as mere matter of history, that Massa-
chusetts was grossly wronged in the de-
termination of the boundary between
the two States, and that, SO far from
having 'purloined' territory which be-
longed TO New Hampshire, they we're
deprived, by the decision of the British
government, Of several hundred thous-
and acres more than the utmost claim
ever made by New HAMPSHIRE
"The Massachusetts Colony Charter of
1923 granted all those lands and her
edltaments whatsoever, which lie and
be within the space of three English
miles to the northward of the said river
called Monomack, or Merrmack, or to the
north5rard Of any and every part thereof,''
&c. The Provlnce Charter of William g.
Mary, in 1851, was not so explicit. After
reciting the former charter, which has
been annulled under Charles the Cd, it
granted TO the inhabitants of Massachu-
sets Bay and their successors, " all that
part OF New-England in America, lying
and extending from the great river com
monty called Monomack, alias Merri-
mack, on the north part, and from three
miles northward of the said river to the
Atlantic or Western Sea, or Ocean. on
the south part, = &c. A controversy af-
forwards arose respecting this boundary,
and in 1881 the Legislatures of the two
colonies agreed TO submit the question
to commissioners. The commissioners
were five councillors from each Of the
governments of New ork, Rhode Island
and Nova Scotia.
| "These commissioners reported that,
| if the charter of William and Mary
granted all the lands previously granted
by the charter of Charles the first, they
adJudged curve line TO begin three
miles north of the mouth Of Merrimack
river, and to keep the same distance
from the river TO the point where it
branches into the Pemigewasset and
Wlnnipiseogee rivers, near troenty males
north Of Concord, ~ H and then 10 run
west towards the south sea, until ii met
the other governments; but if the char
ter of William and Mary did not contain
all that was granted by the former char
ter, then they adjuGged west line, 10
begin at the same place three miles
north of the mouth of the river and to
run to the south sea. The question re-
served they submitted TO the kings roy
al pleasure. The royal government.
without notice to the Massachusetts coll
ony, set aside the award Of the commits
sioners altogether, and being DESTROYS of
cuftailing the limits and power Of the
Massachusetts, colony, made a decision
more favourable for New-Hampshire
than had been contended for by their
agent, viz that the line should run
three miles north Of the Merrimack, as
far as the Pawtucket Fall, the most
southerly part of the river, and from
three miles north of this point should
run west, allowing ten degrees for the
variation Of the magnetic needle.
In pursuance of this decision the line
was run. II cut off from Massachusetts
tract four or five miles in width, which
would have belonged to her on ann 9TH
er construction. The allowance OF ten
degrees for the magnetic variation was
too great, and this error produced re-
suit i'll favor of Massachusetts. but not TO
the extent that has been supposed.
The line does moi in fact vary ten de-
grces from the magnetic west, but is
nearer the true west, so that if correc-
ton OF the line we're now TO be MADE,
upon the principle on which the survey
was ordered TO be made, the result
would be in favour of Massachusetts.
An entire revision of the question, and
an honest decision of it according to the
several charters, would be still more in
our favour, if we could be so unreasona-
BILE as to wish to unsettIe what has been
so long settled.o