February, 1769; their being twice taken by the Sheriff of Northampton, and defeated in their designs; their escapes from prison and bail; breach of their faith; returning again to the lands, and taking to their assistance fugitives from the justice of this Province, till at length they succeeded in their present lodgement at the said Wyoming, a place within the undoubted charter limits of this Province, and to which its laws and jurisdiction were actually extended by our Legislature, long before any act of the Colony of Connecticut for that purpose.

“That the peace of the Province has for several years past been constantly interrupted by these intruders, and endeavouring to extend their settlements, and to draw off our inhabitants to their party by every undue means in their power; tempting some of the lowest of them with offers of commissions civil and military; and others, particularly those who hold as tenants, to become landlords themselves, by offers of the lands on easier terms than those of Pennsylvania.

“That their late attempt to extend themselves westward at least fifty miles from Wyoming, to the west branch of Susquehannah, was attended with the most provoking circumstances of treachery, as well as want of sympathy for the distresses of their Country, or regard for publick union. Because, in May last, after actual hostilities had commenced between Great Britain and the Colonies, the Assembly of Connecticut made a new law, extending their jurisdiction to the said west branch of Susquehannah, and thereby exciting their people to make further intrusions upon us, which was most ungenerously attempted by them, in an hostile manner, the latter end of September last, in open disregard of the injunctions of the Continental Congress, at a time when they thought our people were least expecting them, and least prepared to receive them; many of the best men of the County being absent in the publick service, as riflemen.

“That upon this state of the matter, and in the present temper of the frontier inhabitants of this Province, whose minds are so justly inflamed against those intruders, as a set of men who have made repeated attacks on their property, and to whose future engagements no faith can be due, your memorialists took the liberty to suggest to the worthy Committee of Congress their apprehensions that the said frontier inhabitants, now considering themselves under the necessity of repelling force by force, can be no way quieted, or the publick peace preserved, ‘but by those Connecticut people yielding up the lands of which they have taken forcible possession, and retiring within their old bounds east of New-York, there patiently to wait the decision of the controversy by that authority to which both sides have submitted, and which may soon be expected.’

“The reply made to these arguments appeared to us too evasive and inconclusive to trouble your honourable House with a recital of them. Upon the whole, instead of acquiescing in our proposal to withdraw these intruders, the Connecticut Delegates gave in the following written proposal, calculated, under the sanction of the Congress, if it could be had, to obtain for their people a still stronger establishment in a tract of land almost as large as all Connecticut; thereby delivering them the quiet possession and use of lands, honestly purchased and paid for, to an immense value, by multitudes of good people belonging to all parts of our Province.

“Form of a Resolution of Congress proposed by the CONNECTICUT Delegates.

“‘Whereas it is represented to this Congress, that some disturbances have lately happened among the people inhabiting the lands in controversy between the Colony of Connecticut and the proprietors of the Colony of Pennsylvania, which, unless speedily quieted, may interrupt the harmony and weaken the union of the confederated Colonies, when their united efforts are necessary for the defence of their common rights and liberties; and that the peace of said inhabitants cannot be preserved, nor offenders duly punished there, by the civil authority of the Colonies of Connecticut and Pennsylvania, or either of them, by reason of their interfering claims of jurisdiction; and the Assembly of the Colony of Pennsylvania and the Delegates of the Colony of Connecticut have requested the interposition and advice of the Congress in the premises:

“‘Resolved, That, in the opinion of the Congress, it is expedient, for preserving the peace of said Colonies, that a temporary line of jurisdiction be fixed between them; and therefore recommend for the present, and until there shall be a legal settlement of said controversy, or some other regulation established, that the Colony of Connecticut confine the exercise of its jurisdiction (at the place in controversy) to that part of a Township incorporated by the Assembly of that Colony by the name of Westmoreland, that lieth east of a meridian line beginning at latitude forty-one degrees north, at the distance of fifteen English miles west from the east branch of Susquehannah River, and from thence running north to the north line of the lands in controversy; and that the Colony of Pennsylvania forbear to exercise jurisdiction within those limits, unless the south limit of said Town include any of the inhabitants who settled and hold under the claim of the proprietors of Pennsylvania; that then those inhabitants remain under the jurisdiction of Pennsylvania, and that all the inhabitants on said controverted lands be suffered peaceably to occupy the lands now in their actual possession.

“‘Provided, nevertheless, That nothing contained in this temporary provision shall any way affect or prejudice the legal title or claim of either party to any of the said lands. And it is further recommended, that all persons who have been arrested only for attempting to enter upon and take possession of any of the vacant or uncultivated lands in controversy, be forthwith released, and that all their effects be restored to them. And that, for the future, all concerned carefully avoid whatever may tend to disturb the peace or interrupt the harmony and friendship that ought at all times, and more especially the present, to subsist among all true lovers of their Country.’

“On the foregoing proposal it was observed, first, by your memorialists, that the bounds pointed out would extend the jurisdiction of Connecticut not only over the Wyoming lands, and fifteen miles west of Susquehannah, but also eastward to Delaware, over the Minisink and other lands settled and governed under Pennsylvania for fifty years past. They further observed an affected obscurity, and the use of ambiguous words in the proposal, where it ought to have been explicit and clear: as, for example, a temporary line of jurisdiction is proposed, ‘until there shall be a legal settlement of the controversy.’ But when they were asked what they meant by a legal settlement, and whether the expected determination by the King in Council would be acquiesced in by them as such, no decisive reply was obtained, but rather a suggestion that they would not consider such determination as final in their case. The like ambiguity was observed with respect to the words, ‘actual possession,’ they affecting to consider all lands on which no persons live, as vacant and free for their people to sit down upon; and we considering all lands for which we have paid, and which have been surveyed off to us, as our actual possession, which no man has a right to enter upon without our leave, whether we occupy them or not. And as to a temporary line of jurisdiction, your memorialists declared it to be a matter which they could neither consent to nor have any concern in advising, for the following reasons:

“First. Because the Legislature of this Province did extend its jurisdiction over the whole lands in controversy long before the Colony of Connecticut made any act for the like purpose, and therefore that jurisdiction can neither be suspended or limited, but by the Legislature of this Province itself, or by the general consent of those interested.

“Secondly. Because such general consent can never be expected. For wherever such temporary line may be fixed, it must give dissatisfaction to multitudes, and sacrifice (at least for a time) the property of one part of the Country for the peace of convenience of the other.

“Thirdly. Because application being heretofore made, on the part of Connecticut, to the honourable proprietaries of Pennsylvania, for such temporary line, they refused to consent to the same, considering that it would be injurious to their cause, and an admission that the lines of Connecticut, settled more than an hundred years ago east of New-York, could now extend west of the same, and approach those of Pennsylvania.

“Fourthly. Because it seems evidently intended, by the proposing such temporary lines, to give those Connecticut intruders an opportunity of introducing still greater numbers