Minutes of the Board of Revenue, 1768-1775. 485

Second, That the former Proprietors of this Province
cautiously avoided giving offence by granting Lands to the
westward of the Line settled between the Crown & Lord
Fairfax (tho' the Agent alledges there cannot be a doubt but
that the Fountain Head of the South Branch of Patowmack
is the place referred to in the Charter of this Province) and
he presumes this Caution was intended to be observed until
there should be a favourable opportunity of bringing the
Matter before the King in Council, and that the present Con-
test between Virginia and Pennsylvania will probably afford
this Opportunity; he therefore thinks it highly improper for
the Proprietor, or his Officers to throw the first Stone by
granting Lands over the Allegany Mountains.
Third, That the back Inhabitants who have stood the brunt
of two Indian wars ought to be preferred; and that he has
heard some of them had obtained Warrants with a view of
surveying Lands to the westward of Fort Cumberland, before
the Reserve was laid.
As to the First, It must be confessed that we did not foresee
the Objection, nor do we now perceive that there was any
foundation for it. When the Royal Order was made in 1763,
there were in the then Situation of American Affairs, par-
ticular State Reasons for such prohibition, but the purposes of
this Order have been fully answered, and in consequence of
the King's subsequent Proclamation very extensive Grants
have issued for Land beyond the Mountains, to Officers & Sol-
diers who served in America & were reduced on the Peace, and
we are assured that more than Two Thousand Families have
since settled in Pennsylvania beyond the Allegany, under
Titles from the Proprietaries, & above double that number in
other parts of America over the same Range. When for

Lib. No. 86

p. 138

Reasons of publick Utility the order of 1763 was notified, a
compliance with it was decent & proper, tho' we do not imagine
that it could, or was meant to abridge the Right of the Pro-
prietor under the Charter of Maryland; and it seems to be
a groundless Fear that an immediate exercise of this Right
may give Offence to the Crown, after the Order of 1763 has
been in the most explicit Terms superseded by the subsequent
Proclamation, and so many Thousand Families have been per-
mitted to settle beyond the mountains, in the neighbouring
Colonies of Virginia and Pennsylvania. These Settlements
we apprehend have been greatly disadvantageous to the Pro-
prietary Interest, and the temptation given to many People
to emigrate from hence in search of Lands on easy Terms will,
if not speedily removed, prove very detrimental to the future
Improvement of the Province.

p. 139