A BONE OF CONTENTION. 123 



returne of our said com'rs tSic. provided this warrant & commis- 

 sion remayne in force the space of six months next after the date 

 hereof, & no longer. 



In witness whereof, &c.* 



A few months later, September 9, 1639, men of equal 

 eminence in Massachusetts Bay Colony were appointed to 

 meet the magistrates of Plymouth. 



Remembering the abortive effort of two years previous 

 they ordered : — 



Mr. John Endecott and Mr. Israeli Stoughton were desired 

 againe to meete with our brethren of Plimoth, and have new 

 commission to settle the bounds betweene us and Plimoth and 

 have full power given them so to do. 



The time allowed to the Plymouth commissioners was 

 only six months from June 4, 1639, '^'^^ here it was Sep- 

 tember 9 before the joint members had been appointed 

 from Massachusetts. Accordingly, on the third day of 

 March following, there was eked out to them a little further 

 authority, as follows : — 



Ordered : " That the Commission directed to Mr. Bradford 

 and Mr. Winslow for the setting of the bounds betwixt the Two 

 patents of Plymouth and Mattachusetts Bay be renewed for six 

 months."! 



About two months after this, before it was hay-cutting 

 time, the Massachusetts court passed the following ordi- 

 nance : — 



It is ordered, that such land and medowe at Conihasset as 

 shall fall within this jurisdiction shalbee confered upon Hingham, 

 and that Mr. Duncan, Mr. Glover, William Heathe, and William 

 Parke or any three of them, shall have power to dispose thereof 

 to the inhabitants there, according to their number of persons and 

 estates, for the most benefit of the towne, haveing consideration 

 of such quantities of land and medowe as have bene formerly 



*PlyiTi. Rec, Vol. I, p. 127. + Plymouth Col. Rec, Vol. XI, p. 34. 



