To this demand I could make no other answer than, that His Majesty had by his instructions to me laid down such rules for the granting of lands in this Prov ce that I could not deviate from them without incurring his displeasure, and that the power of confirming what they now requested of me, was not at present lodged in my hands, as I was particularly restrained from granting to any one person more than one thousand acres,

whereas they demand confirmation of Grants, some of which consisted of Tracts containing 100,000 acres and others of 150,000 acres ; I further informed them that no land was granted in this Prov ce to any of His Majty s subjects without their paying a quit-rent of two shillings & sixpence sterling to

the Crown for each hundred acres, & desired to know if they expected to have their grants confirmed,

without paying any such quit-rent to which they answered in the affirmative, and requested that I would not grant any lands on the Lake till I had laid their claims before His Majestys Ministers. On the other hand the reduced Officers, and disbanded soldiers, many of whom are now in actual Possession of large Tracts of those Lands, are greatly alarmed at these Claims, and desire to be protected in the Grants made to them by Lieu 1 Gov Colden, as they have vested their whole fortunes ;

in the settlements already begun on them, and must be reduced to beggary, on being dispossessed.