those which immediately Came thro my Own hands- As the War is Bro' to a Conclusion a Generell Settlement may be necessary The Commissary which has acted under this Commonwealth, has received His Stores By different ways tho under my direction as Commanding Officer. I imagine he Views himself not Answerable to me; for Settlement.

As I wish & it is my Design to my utmost Endeavours to give Satisfaction to Government respecting their Property Expended, I Woud humbly request for fear of a refusal

should I demand | & that no time should be lost to have an order from your Excellency to Call upon every person who have Conceivd for a settlement. With Every Posible Respect Your Excellency Most Hble Svt

Boston April 25th 1783

J. Allan.

Petition of Daniel Small et als.

To the Honorable Senate and the Honorable House of Repre sentatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in General Court assembled

The Subscribers Settlers upon a Tract of Land Situated between the Rivers of Great Ossipee & Little Ossipee, in the County of York-humbly shew

That some Years before the War, the Heirs of Daniel Small, who supposed they had a just Title to a considerable part of said Tract of Land, laid out a Township thereupon adjoining to Saco River That your Petitioners have at different times since settled within the bounds of said Township and made considerable Improvements therein — That from the best Information they have since obtained, they find the said Tract of Land belongs to this Commonwealth-But the same is now claimed by the Heirs of Samuel Small, who have lately

commenced Actions against some of your Petitioners, and from what your Petitioners can learn, they are determined if possible to drive them from their Inheritances,― deprive them of the fruits of their labour and industry, and bring Poverty and Distress upon them and their Children

Thus situated, Your Petitioners humbly beg leave to look up to your Honors for protection- From your Honors alone they expect that Relief which they humbly apprehend they are justly intitled to-and they hope the Government will interfere in their behalf

They judge they can make it appear to the satisfaction of every impartial Person that the Interrupters of their Peace have no right to the Land in question—but that the Fee thereof properly and justly belongs to the Commonwealthand they flatter themselves your Honors will not disturb them in their possessions, but for a reasonable consideration will quiet them therein, and suffer them to enjoy the same in tranquility

Your Petitioners apprehend their conduct in entring upon these Lands will not be considered as an Offence against the Government Although some of your Petitioners, when they first settled on said Land might judge them to belong to the Government, they had reason to hope they could make satisfaction for the same

ness

They have endured many hardships in subduing the Wilderthey have with the sweat of their Brows and the hard labour of their hands-made it capable of producing the Bread which now supports them-and in this they humbly think they have in some degree promoted the Public Interest-Some of your Petitioners have served three Years in the War which through the favour of Heaven is brought to a happy close and they have the vanity to think they shall yet be useful subjects to the Commonwealth

They however ask for nothing beyond the bounds of Reason and Justice-They are willing to pay the Government for their Lands on such Terms as (every circumstance considered) shall be judged just and equitable-But they cannot bear the thoughts of having their possessions wrested from them by those whose Claims are not supported by Law or Justice

Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray that your Honors would take such measures to support the Claims of Government, to the s Tract of Land, and pass such order for quieting Your Petitioners in their possessions thereon---as in your Wisdom, Justice and Goodness your Honors shall judge proper

And as in duty bound will ever pray –

Commonwealth of Massachusetts To the Honorable Senate

and the Honorable House of Representatives in General Court Assembled at Boston

May it please your Honors

The Petition of the Selectmen of Newcastle in the County of Lincoln in behalf of said Town humbly Sheweth, That the

Town of New Castle are under peculiar necessity at present of imploring relief from your Honors: That the Wood and Lumber Trade of our Rivers before the commencement of the War were the chief means of bringing any money into the place, That the War at first brought great embarrasments upon this Trade, and reduced us to very Low circumstances; Yet being sperited in the Cause of our Cuntery, we always paid our Taxes and Turned out our men when there was a draft made upon us till the time when our Enemies took Post at Penobscut River; since which time we have severly suffered from the encrouchments of these our Hostile neighbours; who beside taking all our Lumber Vessels which belonged to the Town and almost intirely suppressing our Trade; insesantly infested our Rivers with their Armed Boats and preyed on every speacies of our navigation, from the Lumber vessel, to the smallest Cannoe that floats on the Tide; thus were we Deprived of the Fishing in and about the mouths of our Rivers, which heretofore was a great means of support to numbers of People, And altho our attention has since been more turned to agriculture, yet from the barreness of the Soil and the sever droughts which have been in this part of the Country for a number of years past, our produce have never been equal to the consumption of the PeopleThat this deffecency could be made up only by importation by water which has been attended with such a risque that the prices have been vastly enhanced. That the pressing necessities of the People, the painful sense of hunger, have obliged them to part with every vendable article of Property at the buyers price in order to procure Bread for their Famillies, giving some times a thousand of Bords for a Bushel of Corn and a Cow for four Bushils, and so in proportion for other Articles which our necessity compelled us to purches; thus have we draged along the Last three years till almost worn out and discouraged; and now should your Hon' deal so

severly with us, as to require of us the Taxes laid on us when we were in a State but little better then imprisonment (which we hope and trust you will not) it would plunge us into such wreached circumstances that it would be out of our power ever to recover

Your Petitioners would therefore humbly recommend the Town of Newcastle, under it present circumstances; to your Honors most wise and serious consideration, and pray your Honors to grant us that relief, which our necessity compells us to aske, Viz' a remittance of the Taxes laid on us by Government for the Last three years or other ways as your Honors see fit and your Petitioners as in Duty bound shall ever pray

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

The Governor & Council upon Examination of the Returns of the several Towns in this Commonwealth found the Votes for Counsellors and Senators in the several Counties of said Commonwealth to stand as follows

Viz1·