QUERY XIV.

and being fatisfied of its reaUty and fair- nefs, proceded further to examine the [ 263 1 reafonablenefs of the petition, and its confiftence with poHcy; and according to the refult, either granted or rejefted the petition. The company alfo fometimes, though very rarely, granted lands, inde- pendently of the general afTembly. As the colony increafed, and individual appli- cations for land multiplied, it was found to give too much occupation to the gene- ral affembly to enquire into and execute the grant in every fpecial cafe. They therefore thought it better to eflablilh general rules, according to which all grants fhould be made, and to leave to the gover- nor the execution of them, under thefe rules. This they did by what have been ufually called the land laws amending them from time to time, as their defefts were developed. According to thefe laws, when an individual wiflied a portion of unappropriated land, he was to locate and furvey it by a public officer, appointed for that purpofe: its breadth was to bear a certain proportion to its length: the grant was to be executed by the gover- nor: and the lands were to be improve^ in a certain manner, within a given time* From thefe regulations there refulted to the (late a fole and exclufive power of ta- king conveyances of the Indian right of foil: fince, according to them an Indian conveyance alone could give no right to an individual, which the laws would ac- knowledge. The ftate, or the crown, thereafter, made general purchafes of the Indians from time to time, and the gover- nor parcelled them out by fpecial grants, conformable to the rules before defcribed, which it was not in his power, or in that of the crown, to difpenfe with. Grants, unaccompanied by their proper legal cir- cumflances, were fet afide regularly by fcire facias^ or by bill in chancery. Since the eftablifliment of our new government, this order of things is but little changed. An individual, wilhing to appropriate to himfelf lands ftill unappropriated by any other, pays to the public treafurer a fum of money proportioned to the quantity he wants. He carries the treafurer's re- ceipt to the auditors of public accompts, who thereupon debit the treafurer with [ 265 1 the fum, and order the regifter of the land-office to