Benjamin Franklin Papers - From William Bingham and James R. Reid (unpublished)

We have the Honor to inclose you the Report of a Committee of Congress, respecting a Survey to fix the Boundaries, and determine the Quantity of the Territory adjoining the State of Pennsylvania, belonging to the United States, as well as the Terms on which the Board of Treasury is authorized to dispose of the same.

We shall wait for the Instructions of the Hon’ble the Supreme Executive Council, whether to make an Offer for the indefinite Quantity that may be contained within the Boundaries of the said Tract, or suspend the Negotiation, untill the Amount is precisely ascertained by Survey.

We would recommend the former Mode, as most conducive to the Interests of the State of Pennsylvania, & most effectually guarding against the Cupidity of private Speculators.

We have the Honor to be with Respect Sir your Excellency’s msot obed’t & very h’ble Servants

Resolved, That the Geographer of the United States be & he is hereby directed to ascertain by himself or by a Deputy duly appointed for the purpose, the boundary Line between the United States & the States of New York & Massachusets agreeably to the Deeds of Cession of the said States.

That the said Geographer inform the Executives of the States of New York & Massachusets of the Time of running the said Line, in order that they or either of them may if they think proper have Persons attending at the Time.

That the said Geographer or his Deputy having run the Meridian between Lake Erie & the State of Pennsylvania, & marked & noted down in his field Book proper Land Marks for the perpetuating the same, shall proceed to make a Survey of the Land lying West of the said Line between Lake Erie & the State of Pennsylvania, so as to ascertain the Quantity thereof, & make return of Such survey to the Board of Treasury who are hereby authorized & impowered at any time before or after such Survey to sell the said Tract in whole at private Sale for a Price not less than three fourths of a Dollar Per Acre in Specie, or Public Securities drawing Interest.

“Now therefore know ye, that we the said James Duane, William Floyd, and Alexander McDougale by Virtue of the Power & Authority & in the Execution of the Trust reposed in us as aforesaid have judged it Expedient to limit & restrict the Boundaries of the said State in the Western parts thereof with respect to the Jurisdiction, as well as the right or pre-emption of Soil, by the Lines and in the form following, that is to say: a Line from the North East Corner of the State of Pennsylvania, along the North Bounds thereof, to its North West Corner continued, due West, untill it shall be intersected by a Meridian Line, to be drawn from the forty fifth degree of North Latitude, through the most Westerly Bent or Inclination of Lake Ontario; thence by the said Meridian Line to the forty fifth Degree of North Latitude; but if on Experiment, the above described Meridian Line shall not comprehend twenty Miles, due West, from the most Westerly Bent or Inclination of the River or Straight of Niagara, then we do by these presents in the Name of the People & for & in behalf of the State of New York & by Virtue of the Authority aforesaid, limit & restrict the Boundaries of the said State, in the Western parts thereof, with respect to Jurisdiction, as well as the right of Pre-emption of Soil, by the Lines & the manner following, that is to say; A Line from the North East Corner of the State of Pennsylvania along the North Bounds thereof to its North West Corner continued due West untill it shall be intersected by a Meridian Line to be drawn from the forty fifth degree of North Latitude, and thence by the said forty fifth Degree of North Latitude.”

“Now therefore, know ye, that we the said Samuel Holten, & Rufus King, by Virtue of the Power & Authority, to us committed by the said Acts of the General Court of Massachusetts, do by these Presents assign, transfer, quit, claim, cede & convey to the United States of America, for their Benefit, Massachusetts inclusive, all States of America, for their Benefit, Massachusetts inclusive, all which the said Commonwealth hath to the Territory or Tract of Country within the Limits of the Massachusetts Charter, situate & lying west of the following Line—that is to say, a Meridian Line to be drawn from the forty fifth degree of North Latitude, through the most westerly Bent or Inclination of Lake Ontario thence by the said Meridian Line to the most southerly Side Line of the Territory contained in the Massachusetts Charter; but if on Experiment the above described Meridian Line shall not comprehend twenty miles due West from the most westerly Bent or Inclination of the River or Straight of Niagara, then we do by these Presents, by Virtue of the power & Authority aforesaid, in the Name & on behalf of the said Commonwealth of Massachusetts transfer, quit, claim, cede & convey to the United States of America, for their Benefit, Massachusetts inclusive, all right, Title & Estate, of & in as well the Soil as the Jurisdiction, which the said Commonwealth hath to the Territory or Tract of Country within the Limits of the Massachusetts Charter, situate and lying West of the following line, That is to say, a Meridian Line to be drawn from the forty fifth Degree of most Westerly Bent or Inclination of the River or Straight of Niagara, thence by the said Meridian Line to the most Southerly side line of the Territory contained in the Massachusetts Charter aforesaid for the Purposes in the said recited Acts declared & to the Uses in a Resolve of Congress of the tenth day of October one Thousand seven hundred and eighty.”