OF LANCASTER COUNTY. 133 



from this City to Sasquebaniiah, in order to a more certain discovery of 

 the country,) and that there are about four hundred people living more 

 Southerly than Lowe's house, who pay taxes in the County of Lancaster, 

 and have always acknowledged themselves inhabitants of Pennsylvania, 



The Board having fully considered the said Letters and Affidavits, and 

 making some observations on the style and manner of the Lord Balti- 

 more's Letter, which they conceived too peremptory, were inclineable to 

 think that his Lordship had left room for no other Answer than barely 

 to acquaint him that the supposed riot was committed within the reputed 

 and known bounds of Pennsylvania, and consequently, not cognizable 

 by him. Yet, since his Lordship's interposition in this affair might proba- 

 bly be owing to some very wrong impressions, and that he might not 

 have had leisure since his arrival, so thoroughly to consider things of 

 this nature, The Board were of opinion that a Letter, stating the facts as 

 proved from the Affidavits, with some close, consequential reasoning 

 thereon, should be prepared and laid before the Board at their next 

 meeting. 



The Governor then proceeded to inform the Board, that an unhappy 

 fray had arisen on the borders of Kent County, in this Government, and 

 those of Dorsett in Maryland, of which Mr. Shurmer, the Clerk of that 

 County, had given an account in a Letter to the Clerk of this Board, and 

 the same being read is in substance : 



That one John Newton purchased some land of a person who told him 

 he held it under Maryland, on which Newton, as a tenant of that Province, 

 paid his Levies, at least for one year, to the officers of Dorsett County, 

 but that upon enquiry he found he had been imposed on, for that the 

 land he was possessed of had never been granted by Maryland to any 

 person whatsoever ; whereupon, believing himself to be entirely free, he 

 chose rather to belong to the County of Kent, and accordingly got the 

 Surveyor, but without any Warrant or other grant, to run out some lines, 

 of which notice was taken in the Surveyor's Books there, and from that 

 time for some years, had paid his Levies to Kent county ; that some of the 

 officers of Dorsett county lately demanding a levy of him, as one of their 

 inhabitants, he made his case known to some of the Justices of Kent, who 

 appointed a Constable in his neighborhood for the preservation of the 

 Peace ; that the under sheriff of Dorsett continuing to insist on the same 

 demand, at length carried him off by force; that the Constable taking a 

 sufficient number of assistants pursued them, and not without some vio- 

 lence, rescued the man and brought him back to his house. 



The Board expressed their concern that occasions of difference should 

 arise between the two Provinces, especially at this juncture, when it is to 

 be expected the execution of that Agreement concluded between the Pro- 

 prietors, will soon terminate all contentions of this sort; and it being 



