The Virginia Gazette

NEW-YORK October 9.

On Saturday last his Majesty's Commissioners appointed under the Great Seal of Great Britain, for Settling the boundary line between this colony and New-Jersey, pronounced their decree. The commission was opened on the first day of July last, by the following Gentlemen, to wit,

CHARLES STEUART, Esq: President.
Andrew Elliott, Esq;
Charles Morris, Esq;
Samuel Holland, Esq;
Peyton Randolph, Esq;
Andrew Oliver, Esq; Jared Ingersoll, Esq;

Some time before the decree was given, Mr. Randolph was called away by necessary avocations of a public nature. The decree was pronounced by four of the remaining Commissioners, to wit. Mr. President, Mr. Elliott, Mr. Oliver, and Mr. Ingersoll; who determined "The boundary partition line between the two colonies to be a direct and straight line from the fork at the mouth of Mahacamack river, formed by its junction with the river called Delaware (as they term it) or the Fish-Kill, in the latitude of 41. 21, and 37, to the latitude of 41, on Hudson's river, found, by their Surveyors, to be at a marked rock, on the west side of Hudson's river, 79 chains and 50 links to the southward, on a meridian from Sneydon's house, formerly Corbet's."

Tho' by this decree the court-house and church in Orange Town, is left a few rods to the northward of the line decreed; yet upwards of 150 families, settled in that ancient county town, will, if the decree be confirmed, be dismembered from this colony, and exposed to utter ruin.

Influenced by this consideration, and a regard to the Royal commission, which authorized the Commissioners to settle the boundary line, upon principles of justice and equity, Samuel Holland, and Charles Morris, Esquires, dissented from the decree of the court; and by their dissent, which was entered in the records of the court, immediately following the decree, they, in substance, declare it, among other things, as their opinion, That a line from the station on Hudson's river, which, in the year 1686, was solemnly fixed by the several governments, as the partition point on Hudson's river, to the mouth of Mahacamack, would be now conformable to the ancient grants, jurisdiction and possessions of both colonies; and therefore more agreeable to his Majesty's benign intentions, in directing the boundary line to be settled upon principles of justice and equity.

As by the above mentioned decree his Majesty's interest, to the amount of many hundred thousand acres of land, and a vast number of ancient possessions, held by patents, under this colony, are totally ceded to New-Jersey, and the ancient jurisdiction of this colony greatly encroached on, the agents on the part of New-York, conceiving it to be their duty to appeal from the decree, immediately after the same was pronounced, tendered to the court their appeal to his Majesty in Privy Council; and prayed that it might be entered, and the proceedings forthwith transmitted. But, though the court permitted it to be entered, they refused to receive it as an appeal, conceiving that, by the terms of the Royal commission, they were not at liberty to receive an appeal, till after the expiration of two months, from the time of pronouncing the decree: And for this purpose they adjourned, to meet at Hartford, in Connecticut, on the 8th day of December next.