settling them; and that the Commissioners for Trade and Plantations in
1768,--declared, That the _inhabitants of the middle colonies_ would
have liberty for that purpose.--

And to this train of facts,--let us add,--that the congress, held with
the Six Nations at Fort Stanwix in 1768,--_when_ his Majesty purchased
the territory on the Ohio, Messrs. Penn also bought from these nations
a very extensive tract of country _over_ the Allegany mountains and on
that river (_joining_ the very lands in question).--That in the spring
1769, Messrs. Penn opened their _land-office_ in Pennsylvania, for the
_settling the country_ which they had so bought at Fort Stanwix: and
all such settlers as had seated themselves _over the mountains_, within
the limits of Pennsylvania, _before_ the lands were purchased from the
natives, have _since_ obtained titles for their plantations:--That in
1771, a petition was presented to the assembly of the province of
Pennsylvania, praying that a _new_ county may be made _over_ these
mountains:--That the legislature of that province, in consideration of
the great number of families settled _there_, within the limits of that
province, did that year enact a law, for the _erection_ of the lands
_over the mountains into a_ new county, by the name of _Bedford
County_: That in consequence of such law, William Thompson, Esq. was
chosen to represent it in the General Assembly: That a sheriff,
coroner, justices of the peace, constables, and other civil officers
are appointed and do reside _over_ the mountains: That all the king's
subjects, who are not less than five thousand families, who have made
locations and settlements on the lands, _southward_ of, and adjoining
to the _southern_ line of Pennsylvania, live _there_, without any
degree of order, law, or government: That being in this lawless
situation, continual quarrels prevail among them: That they have
already infringed the _boundary line_, killed several Indians, and
encroached on the lands, on the opposite side of the Ohio; and that
disorders of the most dangerous nature, with respect to the Indians,
the _boundary-line_ and the _old colonies_, will soon take place among
these settlers, if law and subordination are not immediately
established among them.--Can these facts be possibly perverted so as to
operate, either in point of argument or policy, _against_ the
proposition of governing the king's subjects on the lands in question?

It ought to be consi