Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1657- 1660. 373

And whereas (to say som things by way of a little discourse
to the supposed Claimes or pretence of my Lord Baltemores
Pattent vnto our aforesaid Sowth River or Delaware Bay) Wee
vtterly deny disowne, and reiect any power and authority (ex-
cept breakers of peace, and Actors as publick Enemies which
rests onely vpon their strenigth and self will) that may or can
legally come to reduce, or subdue the said River & Subiects
from their right lawfull Lords and Proprietors, by whom it is
vndenyable iustly and lawfully possessed and seated about
fforty yeares agone as abouesaid, when to the Contrary the
Pattent of the said my Lord Baltemore is of no longer standing
and settlement then about 24 or 27 yeare, without any particular
expressions or speciall Tytle mentioned to take that River of
Delaware Bay from the Dutch, Not in soe much as S^r Edmond
Ploythen in former tyme would make vs belieue hee hath vnto
when it afterward did prove and was found out, hee onely sub-
reptiff and obreptiff hath somthing obtained to that purpose
which was invallid. And putt the Case the said my Lord
Baltemore or any other hath any Seeming Tytle to the afore-
said River or Delaware Bay then his lordship according to the

Liber H. H.

30^th Article of peace and Confederacy should haue made his
repaire before the 18^th of May 1652 to the Honno^ble Commis-
sioners appointed by both States a purpose for the Deter-
mination of such and the like differences as might haue bine
Comitted or transacted betweene the two Nations in the for-
raigne parts of the world ever since the yeare 1611 to the 18^th
day of May 1652 after w^ch tyme it is in plaine tearmes pro-
hibited and proclaimed that then noe pretences more should
be admitted. Jn obedience to which to proue the true meaneing
and interpretation of the aforesaid thirtieth Article by two
Evident Examples and Wittnesses of your owne Race and
Chiefest authority of the Republick of England) Wee say that
New England in those dayes claimeing also som intrest to our
limitts from their Side, And my Lord Protectors Shipps by
open warr send thither to subdue the aforesaid Province of
New Netherland at the other side Peace being Concluded
renounced and deserted vpon that Occasion their Designe and
went against the ffrench. So that the Right and Tytle the
Dutch Nation haue vnto their Province of the Netherlands
aforesaid ever since Moore and more stands conformed and
Ratified. But fforasmuch now motion is made and question
moved into our Westerne limitts, and haueing therevpon ob-
served and suspected the Bay of Chesepeake in the Vppermost
parts therof winding soe much to the North East to run aboul
Sassafrax and Elke River into our Lyne, wee therefore lay also
Claime to those parts vntill by Due Examination hereafter the
truth hereof may be found out or agreed and settled amongst
vs otherwise

No. 53