Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1722/3. 399

      The following Report from the right Honble the Lords of Lib. X.

    the Committee for Trade and foreign plantations was this day

    read at the Board

      The Lords of the Committee for Trade and plantations

    having pursuant to his late Majestys order in Council of the

    31st of May 1683 examined the matter in difference between

    the Lord Baltimore and William Penn Esqr in behalf of his

    present Majesty concerning the tract of Land in America

    commonly called Deleware their Lordships find that Land

    intended to be Granted by the Lord Baltimores pattent was

    only uncultivated and inhabited by Salvages and that this

    tract of Land now in dispute was inhabited and planted by

    Christians at and before the date of the Lord Baltimores

    pattent as it hath been ever since to this time and Continued

    as a distinct Colony from that of Maryland so that their Lord-

    ships humbly offer their opinion that for Avoiding further

    differences the tract of Land lying between the River and Bay

    of Deleware and the Eastern Sea be adjudged to belong to

    his Majesty and the other half remain to the Lord Baltimore

    as Comprized within his Charter Council Chamber 7th of

    November 1685

      His Majesty well approving of the said Report it was

    thereupon Ordered by his Majesty in Council that the said

    Lands be forthwith divided accordingly whereof the said Lord

    Baltimore and William Penn Esqr together with their respect

    ive Officers whom it may concern are to take notice and give r. 60

    ready and due Obedience thereto

      It is evident from the above Order how Grossly many peo

    ple have erred in apprehending the Lands upon or near the

    Susquehannah to be any part of those Lands which are or

    ever were in difference between the Proprietors of Maryland

    and Pennsylvania for those disputable Lands according to

    the Letter and design of the Order in Council do lye towards

    Deleware Bay and the Eastern Sea only and are no part of

    those other Lands (not so much as pretended to be planted

    early by Christians) which lye towards the Susquehannah and

    by the order it self determined to belong unto the Lord Bal

    timore as Comprehended within his Charter nor is it any

    Longer to be doubted whether Maryland ought to extend

    Northerly to the 40th Degree of North Latitude seing that the

    Lands to the Southward of that Line and on the west Side of

    the Deleware have been heretofore that is on the 20th day of

    Iune 1632 Granted unto Cecilius Lord Baron of Baltimore in

    as express and positive terms as words can speak the design

    of the Grantor vizt unto that part of Deleware Bay which

    lieth under the 40th degree of North Latitude from the Equi