180 | To Richard Jackson

    Boston Decr 6th 1762

    Dear Sir

    I wrote to you Octo. 29 a full letter concerning Mount desart: The Original went by the Snow Bristol Merchant, Keer, for Bristol, the duplicate667 by the Ship Jenny & Nelly, Lyall, for Glascow, both inclosed in A Cover to the Lords of trade.668 At the end of this I promise a Memorial for the Secretary of State to be sent by the next ship. Upon second [thought] I think it more proper to address this Memorial to the Lords of Trade & a letter to the Secretary of State informing him that such a Memorial has been given in. Both these you’ll receive with this under flying Seals for your Perusal. you may consult Mr Pownal before they go out of your hands, that if there is anything, improper it may be altered, or the whole new drawn if thought best. With this you will also receive a refutation of the Objection concerning King William’s Possession drawn from Historical Facts with the Vouchers thereunto annexed. These with the Memorial & a letter to Mr Pownal in officio will be in one Cover under a flying Seal for your perusal. I shall send another Set of them by the next Ship:669 in the mean time you may make use of these either before or after you give them to Mr Pownal. you will also receive a state of the Provinces right to the lands in Question: This has been drawn up by the Lieut. Govr who is chairman of a Committee of both houses, appointed to prepare instructions to the Agent for the defence of the Provinces right to these lands. It is to be reported to the Genl Court at thier sitting in Janry & then will probably come to you in form. At present you must consider it as put into your hands only for private information, and as a direction for your own researchers.670

    If the difficulty concerning the confirming my grant arises only from the Objection of King William’s not being in possession of these lands, I think it must be removed by what I offer, which seems to me to be conclusive for the possession of the English: Especially when it is considered that Casteen whose settlement was the only one left remaining after Sr William’s Phipps’s expedition, Submitted to the English & swore allegiance to King William & corresponded at Boston as a Subject of England for severall years after the grant of the Charter.671 If therefore He is to be considered as an European, His Settlement from Sr Wm Phipps’s conquest was under the English; if as an Indian, his Submission to the English is an argument of their Possession. There seems to be no other French left upon these lands after Sr Willm Phipps’s expedition but this one. If the Settlement upon the Island of Pasimaquody was restored, (which if not probable considering the Massachusets kept possession of Port royal) that is Part of Nova Scotia being within 6 leagues of the Continent as granted to Sr Wm Alexander. But supposing it is not conclusive as to this Question, Surely it renders it so doubtful as not to make it worth while to attempt to take this land from the Province by means of a legal exception to the Validity of the Charter (70 years after the grant of it & thirty years after it’s confirmation by order of Council) the determination of which must be doubtful, but the ill humour, Animosity & litigation which this attack will produce certain.

    For my part I cannot percieve any purpose that this measure can serve that is in the least adequate to the trouble & uneasiness it is like to occasion. If it is intended to add this Tract to Nova Scotia, it is a most unnecessary Work: Nova Scotia as bounded by Sr Wm Alexanders patent, has an extent of Territory that the next 100 years will not Settle. Massachusets Bay wants this Tract immediately for the use of thier Superabundant people: shall it be taken away from them to be added to the boundless Wastes of Nova Scotia.__

    Is it intended to make this a seperated territory from either of the present Provinces? As a Government it will not be sufficient unless other parts of the Massachusets Grant, against which this Objection dont lie, be also taken in. Is it wanted for a grant to private Adventurers for this, there is no occasion to cut off a portion of the Massachusets grant, the North Side of the Bay & River of St Croix, the Sea-Coast between that & St Johns the great River of St. Johns (which has lately been accurately surveyed) will afford a field large enough for adventurers, without impeaching the Title of the Massachusets.__

    I own I think it might be adviseable to erect the Province of Main & Territory of Sagadehock into a new Government, & that it is practicable without injuring the rights of the Massachusets, that is, by gaining thier consent. The Seperation of the Western from the Eastern Territory by the intervention of New Hampshire & the distance of the extreme eastern parts from the Capital are obvious inconveniences and will be felt as such when that Country is when peopled.672 The bounding the Old province of Massachusets by the New Hampshire line of latitude has been much regretted. If therefore the Crown would give the Province of New Hampshire (with the addition of Rhode Island, whose Mobboccracy must be determined one way or other) to the Massachusets in exchange for Main & Sagadehock, I should think it would be accepted, because I think it would be for the benefit of the province to make such exchange. If such an exchange could be made with the good will of the people, The province of main & sagadehock with Falmouth in Casco Bay (a Very fast growing Town) for the Capital would make as fine a Province as any in America. And, as the whole Coast from Piscataqua to St Croix would soon be settled, it would help to strenghten Nova Scotia, This would be a Scheme worth pursuing & probably would not meet with much difficulty: tho’ one cant always determine what will be agreable to a people by Judging what will be beneficial to them: And therefore I would not have it known that such a hint came from me.

    I recieved a letter Yesterday from Lord Barrington,673 wherein he writes “I shall also, if necessary, give any assistance in my power to the Agents you employ about the grants made to you by the Province.” It is impossible for me to know wherein it will be necessary to trouble; and therefore I can only renew my request, that you will apply to him when you see occasion: you cant have a better Mediator with Lord Egremont. If you are not allready known to him, it would be best for you to be introduced to him before you have occasion to trouble him with business, unless it should allready offer

    I am &c

    R. Jackson Esq

    L, LbC BP, 2: 234-240.