FOREST COMMISSIONERS REPORT. II3 



By resolve of March 26, 1826, the Land Agent was authorized 

 to make conveyances of all lands granted by the Legislature. 



An act entitled "An Act to promote sale and settlement of 

 public lands." Approved F'ebniary 20, 1828, provided for the 

 appointment of an agent by the Governor and Council to super- 

 intend and manage the sale of public lands, and authorized him 

 to sell and convey certain lands. It repealed all previous acts 

 relative to the sale and settlement of pubHc lands. 



The first Land Agent was James Irish and acting under the 

 above acts and resolves and by special resolves of the Legisla- 

 tures some of the islands, principally among those assigned to 

 Maine by the Commissioners, were disposed of. 



That the islands along the coast early came under the atten- 

 tion of the Legislature is to be seen from a resolve of March 

 2^, 1838, directing the Land Agent to procure from Massachu- 

 setts an attested copy of all plans and surveys of islands situated 

 in this state. Also a schedule of all islands sold by Massa- 

 chusetts ; and deposited same in Land Office. 



Acting under this resolve, Oliver Frost went to the Massa- 

 chusetts land ofifice and made a copy of all records, plans and 

 documents relating to islands since the establishment of the 

 land office in 1784, and prepared a schedule "embracing all 

 islands on the coast of Maine which had been surveyed under 

 the authority aforesaid, and which were not embraced in any 

 grant of Main land." 



In his report which is contained in full in Land Agent's 

 report of 1839 he says: 



"I have arranged them — islands — in a table according to the 

 requirements of said resolve, designating all islands sold by 

 Massachusetts, the date of such sale, and the names of the 

 respective purchasers, to which I liave added the number of 

 acres contained in each island, the page referring to the book 

 of plans in the land ofifice where their relative situation may be 

 seen, and those assigned to the State of Maine in the division 

 of lands between the Commonwealth since the Separation." 



He also made copies of all plans Massachusetts had of islands 

 and filed them in our Land Office. 



Notwithstanding this interest manifested in islands and the 

 securing of all possible information relative to same, no great 

 number of islands were conveyed during this period. 



8 



