558 INDIAN LAND CESSIOXS IN THE UNITED STATES [eth.ann. 18 



Tliat tlie management of Indian affairs was at last taken out of the 

 hands of at least the g(n"ernor of ISTew York appears from a letter of 

 Lieutenant Governor Golden to the Earl of Halifax, December 8, 1763. 



As the teri'itories of Quebec, East Florida, and West Florida had, by 

 virtue of the treaty with France, February 10, 1763, come under the 

 control of Great Britain, a proclamation for their government was 

 issued October 7, 1763. The following clauses relating to the policy 

 to be pursued with the Indians in these colonies, and some other 

 sections mentioned, are inserted here: ' 



And whereas, it is just and reasonable, and essential to our interest and the 

 security of our colonies, that tlie several nations or tribes of Indians with whom 

 we are connected, and who live under our protection, should not be molested or dis- 

 turbed in the possession of such parts of our dominions and territories as, not 

 having been ceded to, or purchased by us, are reserved to them, or any of them, as 

 their hunting grounds; we do, therefore, with the advice of our privy council, 

 declare it to be our royal will and pleasure, that no Governor or comm.inder in chief, 

 in any of our colonies of Quebec, East Florida, or West Florida, do presume, upon 

 any pretence whatever, to grant warrants of survey, or pass any patents for lands 

 beyond the bounds of their respective goveruments, as described in their commis- 

 sions; as, also, that no Governor or commander in chief of our other colonies or 

 plantations in America, do presume for the present, and until our further pleasure be 

 known, to grant warrants of survey, or pass patents for any lands beyond the heads 

 or sources of any of the rivers which fall into the Atlantic ocean from the West or 

 Northwest; or upon any lands whatever, which, not having been ceded to, or pur- 

 chased by, us, as aforesaid, are reserved to the said Indians or any of them. 



And we do further declare it to be our royal will and pleasure, for the present, as 

 aforesaid, to reserve under our sovereignty, protection, and dominion, for the use of 

 the said Indians, all the land and territories not included within the limits of our 

 said three new Governments, or within the limits of the territory granted to the 

 Hud.son's Bay Company; as also all the lauds and territories lying to the Westward 

 of the sources of the rivers which fall into the sea from the West and Northwest as 

 aforesaid; and we do hereby strictly forbid, on pain of our displeasure, all our lov- 

 ing subjects from making any jiurchases or settlements whatever, or taking posses- 

 sion of any of the lands aliove reserved, without our special leave and license for 

 that purpose first obtained. 



And we do further strictly enjoin and rei|uire all persons whatever, who have 

 either wilfully or inadvertently seated themselves upon any lauds within the coun- 

 tries above described, or upon any other lands, which, not having been ceded to, or 

 purchased by, us, are still reserved to the said Indians as aforesaid, forthwith to 

 remove themselves from such settlements. 



And whereas great frauds and abusers have been committed in the purchasing 

 lands of the Indians, to the great prejudice of our interests, and to the great dissat- 

 isfaction of the said Indians ; in order, therefore, to prevent such irregularities for 

 the future, and to the end that the Indians may be convinced of our justice and 

 determined resolution to remove all reasonable cause of discontent, we do, with 

 the advice of our privy council, strictly enjoin and require that no private iiersou 

 do presume to make any purchase from the said Indians, of any lands reserved to 

 the said Indians, within those parts of our colonies where we have thought proper 

 to allow settlement; but that, if, at any time, any of the .said Indians should be 

 inclined to dispose of the said lands, the same shall be purchased only for us, in our 

 name, at some public meeting or assembly of the said Indians, to be held for that pur- 

 pose, by the Governor or commander-in-chief of our colony, respectively, within 

 which they .shall lie : and in case they shall lie within the limits of any proprietaries, 



' Laws, etc, relating to Public Lands (1828), pp. 1 



