o _legal
titles to lands_.

We have, we presume, fully proved, in our observations on the third
paragraph,--That the design of the proclamation, so far as it related
to lands _westward_ of the Allegany mountains, was for no other purpose
than to _reserve_ them, under his Majesty's protection, for _the
present, for the use of the Indians_; to which we shall only add, That
the line established by the proclamation, so far as it concerned the
lands in question, could _not_ possibly be fixed and described with
more _precision_, than the proclamation itself describes it; for it
declares,--That "all the lands and territories lying to the westward of
the sources of the rivers, _which fall into the sea from the west and
north-west_," should be reserved under his Majesty's protection.

Neither, in our opinion, was his Majesty induced to enter into
engagements with the Indians for fixing a more _precise_ and
determinate boundary "_partly from a consideration of justice, in
regard to legal titles to lands_,"--for there were _none_ such (as we
shall prove) comprehended within the tract _now_ under consideration.

But for a full comprehension of ALL the reasons for his Majesty's
"entering into engagements with the Indians, for fixing a more precise
and determinate boundary line," than was settled by the royal
proclamation of Oct. 1763, we shall take the liberty of stating the
following facts:--In the year 1764, the King's ministers had it _then_
in contemplation, to obtain an act of parliament for the proper
regulation of the Indian commerce; and providing a fund, (by laying a
duty on the trade) for the support of superintendants, commissaries,
interpreters, &c. at particular forts in the Indian country, _where_
the trade was to be carried on:--And as a part of this system, it was
thought proper, in order to avoid future complaints from the Indians,
on account of encroachments on their hunting grounds, to purchase a
large tract of territory from them, and establish, with their consent,
a respectable _boundary line_, beyond which his Majesty's subjects
should _not_ be permitted to settle.

In consequence of this system, orders were transmitted to Sir William
Johnson, in the year 1764, to call together the Six Nations,--lay this
proposition of the _boundary_ before them, and take their opinion upon
it.--This, we apprehend, will appear evident from the following speech,
made by Sir William to the Six Nations, at a conference which h