some I know, think that these Grants of Townships Government of these parts of the Country, as I remember it is expressly mentioned in the Patents for the Townships of Southampton and Southold and perhaps it is so in others likewise, and the Governours who granted these Town Patents continued to grant the Soil, within the limits of these Townships, as some of the succeeding Governours did likewise, However most of all the Lands within these Townships are held by Grants from Trustees, or Common Council of these Towns upon the General Town rights only. If these Town are not Grants of the Soil, but only for the Good

Patents should not be valid, as to the whole Soil contained within their limits yet they may operate

and possessions of those who are called freeholders in the These Town Patents are generally upon small yearly acknowledgements

as a confirmation of the particular rights said Grants.

Gov 18 under the Duke of York, took these extraordinary methods to secure their Masters Authority, and interest, they made some Grants of Large Tracts of Land, upon Notwithstanding that the

trifling Quitrents but as these are very few, in Comparison of what happened afterwards what observations I have to make on this head will come in more properly in another place. Sir Edmond Andross the third English Gov r of New York, as he seems to have had the interest of

his Master and of the People he Governed as

much at heart as any Gov that has at any time been r