Resolve of 1793
[Acts and Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1793, pg 541-543]
Whereas it appears to this Court by the Petition of Samuel Freeman and others that a Resolve of the General Court pass'd the 21st day of June A D 1785 confirming the original Grants of the Townships No One-Four-Five and Six East of Union River in the Counties of Hancock and Washington, on certain conditions therein mentioned, is found ineffectual for the purposes for which it was intended:
Therefore Resolved That the said Resolve of the 21st June 1785 so far as it respect[s] the said Townships No Four Five and Six be and it is hereby declared null and void.
And be it further Resolved, That the said Townships No Four Five and Six be sold under the direction of the Committee for the Sale of Eastern Lands for the Benefit of the Commonwealth and of the Proprietors of said Townships respectively - the proceeds of said Sale to be divided as follows, viz. One Third part thereof shall be applied to the Use of the Commonwealth, and two thirds to the use of the Proprietors of said Townships No four five and six respectively - And the said Committee, with such agent as the said Proprietors respectively at a meeting duly warned shall appoint for the purpose shall be and hereby are impowered to make and execute a Deed or Deeds thereof to the purchaser or purchasers. Provided nevertheless that the Committee aforesaid together with said Proprietors respectively, may if they agree thereto cause a Division of the Lands in said Township to be made in such manner as they shall see fit in the proportion aforesaid that is to say, to set off one third of said Township respectively to the use and benefit of the Commonwealth and two thirds to the use and benefit of the Proprietors of said Townships respectively, having respect to quality and quantity - Provided also that there shall be allowed and assigned to Alexander Campbell Esqr in Township No four three hundred acres - to Joseph Wallace in Township No five three hundred acres - and to each of the other Settlers in the said Townships No four five and six, who settled thereon before the 20th day of January one thousand seven hundred and eighty three his Heirs or Assigns a Lot of One hundred Acres of land and to every Settler of the foregoing description who was also a Proprietor shall be allowed two lots each of one hundred acres and every lot shall be laid out so as to include the improvements made thereon by the Settler to whom it is laid out - the said Settlers severally paying for the Benefit of Government - and of the Proprietors of said Township respectively in the proportion aforesaid, the Sum of Thirty shillings for each and every hundred acres so assigned them - and that there shall also be allowed and assigned to such Persons as may have settled in either of said Townships since the said 20th day of January one thousand seven hundred and eighty three Lots of one hundred acres of Land each - so as to include their respective improvements - they severally paying for the use and benefit of the Commonwealth, and of the Proprietors of said Townships No four five and six respectively, in the proportion aforesaid, the Sum of Three Pounds for each and every hundred acres so allowed them - And where any of the Lotts to be assigned to the Settlers aforesaid, shall not include the whole of the Improvements by them made in the upland of said Townships respectively, there shall be such further quantity of Land assigned them, as shall be sufficient to include such improvements they severally paying therefor to the use of said Commonwealth and of said Proprietors respectively the Sum of three shillings [per] Acre for every Acre that may be assigned them over and above the specified quantity respectively assigned them as aforesaid - And provided also that each of said Settlers shall have and enjoy a share of the marsh in the Townships where they are respectively settled, in proportion to the Lands set off to them as aforesaid.
And the Proprietors of said Townships respectively may demand of the present Possessors of Lands settled upon as aforesaid, possession of such Lands, on their refusing to pay the Sums required by this Resolve, as a condition for quieting them in such possessions.
And it is further Resolved - That the Acts and Proceedings of the Proprietors of the said Townships No four five and six respectively by them heretofore legally made, shall be and hereby are established and confirmed, provided the same shall not counteract the intention of this Resolve. And the said Proprietors respectively may continue to call meetings, & pass any Vote or Votes as such in the manner they might have done if this Resolve had not been passed provided such Vote or Votes shall not militate therewith.
And be it further Resolved, that the said Proprietors respectively, shall be holden to pay all Just debts & sums of Money from them due & owing to any person or persons whatsoever, and perticularly shall pay to Sarah Shaw Executrix of the last Will & Testament of Francis Shaw Esqr Deceased, the sum of Three hundred & Twenty seven pounds ten shillings & Six pence, within eighteen Months, from the passing of this Resolve, with the Interest thereof, being their proportional part of the expence of a Survey of the said Townships of No one, four, five & six made by the late Company of Gould & Shaw.
June 21, 1793