(348) 
Hampshire grants”; and an active speculation in those lands 
soon arose, in which some of the most eminent citizens of 
New York City took part. Numerous patents were issued by 
Lt. Gov. Colden and Gov. Moore from 1665 to 1667, most 
of which conflicted with prior grants from Gov. Wentworth, 
under which settlements and improvements to some extent 
had been already made. Upon complaint being made to the 
King, a further order in council, made July 24, 1767,* accord- 
ing to the repeated directions of his Ministers, forbade any 
further grants in that district ‘‘ until his Majesty’s further 
pleasure should be made known ”; thus suspending the power 
to make grants within that territory.t 
This order was never modified. It was carefully observed 
by Gov. Moore, who refused to make any further grants, 
though urged to do so (Doc. Hist. N. Y., qto., 4: 377); and 
he accordingly forebore to issue the first patent to Columbia, 
which had been resolved on by himself and his council in 
1767, shortly before he received warning of the forthcoming 
prohibitory order.{ Upon his death, however, in September, 
1769, Lt. Governor Colden and the succeeding governors, no 
doubt under similar pressure, and allured by the prospect of 
large official fees, upon a different construction of the King’s 
order, but in violation of its intention and of the repeated in- 
structions of the crown ministers, granted from 1769 to 1774 
to speculators and officials,§ mostly of New York City, over 
*Doc., Hist.N. Y., 4 : 609,612; H. Hall’s Vt., 480, 88, es Slade’s State Pap. 
+ Rept. Board of Trade, Dec. 3, 1772, Colonial Doc., 8 : 331, 334, 339- 
» 1343 aia Tord Shelburne to 
Goldsbrow Banyar, the Clerk of the Colonial Council, was the largest specu- 
lator, and was allowed by the Commissioners of 1797 for 144,600 acres. Mr. 
Duane, the champion and defender of the New York grants, was the third in 
amount, being allowed for 52,500 acres, Doc. Hist. N. Y., 4: 1024 ; H. Hall’s 
Vt, 510; Commiss. Rept., Albany, 1 
Colden? s grants were upwards of 1,000,000 acres ; and his fees were from 
$25,000 to $30,000, occasional abatements being rane ; Duumore’s and 
Tryon’s, each over half as much. H. Hall's Vt., 100, 109, 115 ; Vt. Hist. Col- 
lection, 1: 158. About half of Gov. Tryon’s grants were confirmatory of 
previous patents issued by Gov. Wentworth. See Vt. Hist. Collection, 1: 152. 
