204 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
pamphlet as merely outlining in a literary spirit an academic scheme 
of government, like Plato’s Republic and More’s Utopia, for a common- 
wealth which never had an existence.” 
Dr. Eaton’s theory is ingenious and possibly correct. But it is at 
least equally possible—so extraordinary and quixotic were some of 
Alexander McNutt’s schemes—that he may have been hopeful that 
Nova Scotia might eventually cast in her lot with the revolted colonies 
and be included among the sovereign States of America. It must not 
be forgotten that many of the New England settlers and not a few of the 
Trish immigrants openly sympathized with the revolution. 
Nova Scotia transformed into the Commonwealth of New Ireland 
with Alexander McNutt as Governor! To his vivid imagination what 
a delectable vision. 
In one of his memorials the Colonel states that he has been promised 
a grant of several townships on the Kennebec River. Could it have been 
there that he proposed to establish New Ireland? The territory in that 
region and to the Eastward has a peculiar history. It was granted by 
Charles IT. to James Duke of York who settled on his patent over one 
thousand families. But the settlement, in the words of an early his- 
torian, was “broke up and destroyed by Fire and Sword by the French 
and Frenchifyed Indians from Canada and the whole Country laid 
waste.” In 1718 a memorial was presented to the British government 
advocating the erection of the lands and islands lying between Nova 
Scotia and New England into a province. Massachusetts, however, 
claimed jurisdiction over the tract, under the charter issued by William 
and Mary in 1691. Their agent made a counter proposal, namely, that 
the lands between the Kennebec and Penobscot rivers should be definitely 
conceded to Massachusetts that colony, in return, to abandon its claim 
to the lands between the Penobscot and the St. Croix. The Lords of 
Trade decided that it was not in the interests of Great Britain to enter 
into such a bargain. 
Bancroft in his History of the United States and Lorenzo Sabine, 
in his Loyalists of the American Revolution, mention yet another 
scheme in connection with this region. The promoter was William 
Knox, under secretary of State for the colonies, formerly of Georgia. 
At the time his plan was formulated in 1780, the British forces were in 
possession of Eastern Maine from the St. Croix westward to the Kenne- 
bec, with the exception of Machias, which the American held by a very 

1 Another old document of some interest in connection with this region is 
entitled ‘‘An abstract of the scheme of Government, so far as it relates to the 
Grantees in trust forsettling the land lying between Nova Scotia and the Province of 
Maine in New England in America.” It was proposed that the new province should 
be designated “by the name of Georgia, or otherwise as His Majesty shall think fit.” 
The scheme proved equally futile with the one mentioned above. 
