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gress assembled, for the benefit of the said States,
Virginia inclusive, all right, title and claim, as well
of soil as of jurisdiction, which the said common-
wealth hath to the territory or tract of country within
the limits of the Virginia charter, situate, lying and
being to the north-west of the river Ohio, to and for
the uses and purposes and on the conditions of the
said recited act. In testimony whereof, we have
hereunto subscribed our names and affixed our seals,
in Congress the
day of
in the year
of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty
four, and of the independence of the United States,
the eighth.

Resolved, That the United States in Congress as Congress sembled, are ready to receive this deed, whenever the ready to re delegates of the state of Virginia are ready to exe- deed.

cute the same.

ceive the

The delegates of Virginia then proceeded and Deed exesigned, sealed and delivered the said deed; where- cuted. upon, Congress came to the following resolution.

The delegates of the commonwealth of Virginia having executed the deed,

Resolved, That the same be recorded and enrolled To be reamong the acts of the United States in Congress as- corded. sembled,

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Alteration of

Resolved, That it be and it hereby is recommend- Resolution ed to the legislature of Virginia, to take into conside- of Congress, ration their act of cession, and revise the same so far July 7, 1786. as to empower the United States in Congress assem bled, to make such a division of the territory of the United States, lying northerly and westerly of the river Ohio, into distinct republican states, not more the act of than five nor less than three, as the situation of that cession asked country and future circumstances may require; from Virwhich states shall hereafter become members of the ginia. federal Union, and have the same rights of sovereignty, freedom and independence, as the original states, in conformity with the resolution of Congress, of the tenth of October, 1780.

Ordinance

of Congress for the government of

north-west

of the river Ohio, 13th July, 1787. Not less than

three nor more than

five states to

ARTICLE V.

Of compact with people and states in North
West territory.

There shall be formed in the said territory, not less than three nor more than five states; and the boundaries of the states, as soon as Virginia shall alter her the territory act of cession, and consent to the same, shall become fixed and established as follows, to wit: The western state in the said territory shall be bounded by the Mississippi, the Ohio and Wabash rivers; a direct line drawn from the Wabash and post Vincents due north to the territorial line between the United States and Canada, and by the said territorial line to the be formed in lake of the Woods and Mississippi. The middle the territory, state shall be bounded by the said direct line, the with consent Wabash from post Vincents to the Ohio; by the Ohio, of Virginia. by a direct line drawn due north from the mouth of the Great Miami to the said territorial line, and by the said territorial line. The eastern state shall be bounded by the last mentioned direct line, the Ohio, Pennsylvania and the said territorial line: Provided however, and it is further understood and declared, that the boundaries of these three states shall be subject so far to be altered, that if Congress shall hereafter find it expedient, they shall have authority to form one or two states in that part of the said territory which lies north of an east and west line drawn through the southerly bend or extreme of lake Michigan. And whenever any of the said states shall have sixty thousand free inhabitants therein, such states hall be admitted, by its delegates, into the Congress of the United States, on an equal footing with the original states, in all respects whatever; and shall be at liberty to form a permanent constitution and state government: Provided, the constitution and government so to be formed, shall be republican, and in conformity to the principles contained in these articles; and so far as it can be consistent with the general interest of the confederacy, such admission shall be allowed at an earlier period, and when there may be a less number of free inhabitants in the state than sixty thousand.

Act of Virginia, of 30th December, 1788.

WHEREAS the United States, in Congress as Act of Virsembled, did on the seventh day of July, in the year ginia, Dec. 30th, 1788 of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eightysix, state certain reasons, shewing that a division of the territory which hath been ceded to the said Unit- Preamble. ed States, by this commonwealth, into states, in conformity to the terms of cession, should the same be adhered to, would be attended with many inconveniences, and did recommend a revision of the act of cession, so far as to empower Congress to make such a division of the said territory into distinct and repuh. lican states, not more than five nor less than three in number, as the situation of that country and future circumstances might require. And the said United States, in Congress assembled, have in an ordinance for the government of the territory north-west of the river Ohio, passed on the thirteenth of July, one thousand seven hundred and eighty seven, declared the following as one of the articles of compact between the original states and the people and states in the said territory, viz:

[Here the 5th article of compact, of the ordinance of Congress, of 13th July, 1787, as above inserted, is recited verbatim.]

aforesaid ra

And it is expedient that this commonwealth do assent to the proposed alteration, so as to ratify and confirm the said article of compact between the original states and the people and states in the said territory. II. Be it therefore enacted, by the general assembly, Article of That the afore-recited article of compact, between the compa original states and the people and states in the terri- tified. tory north-west of Ohio river, be, and the same is hereby ratified and confirmed, any thing to the contrary, in the deed of cession of the said territory by this commonwealth to the United States, notwithstanding.

Resolution

No. 3.

Massachusetts.

The delegates for Massachusetts having proceeded of Congress, to execute the deed of cession mentioned in the reso lution of yesterday, in the following words, viz:

April 19,

1785.

Deed of cession.

Territory west of a

certain line

ceded.

To all who shall see these presents, we, Samuel Holten and Rufus King, the underwritten delegates for the commonwealth of Massachusetts, in the Congress of the United States of America, send greeting:

[Here follows the recital of the acts of the state of Massachusetts, authorising its delegates in Congress to make the cession.]

Now therefore know ye, That we, the said Samuel Holten and Rufus King, by virtue of the power and authority to us committed by the said acts of the general court of Massachusetts, before recited, in the name, and for and on behalf of the said commonwealth of Massachusetts, do by these presents assign, transfer, quit-claim, cede and convey to the United States of America, for their benefit, Massachusetts inclusive, all right, title and estate of and in, as well the soil as the jurisdiction, which the said common. wealth hath to the territory or tract of country within the limits of the Massachusetts charter, situate and lying west of the following line, that is to say: A meridian line to be drawn from the 45th degree of north latitude, through the westerly bent or inclination of lake Ontario, thence by the said meridian line to the most southerly side line of the territory contained in the Massachusetts charter; but if on experiment, the above described meridian line, shall not comprehend twenty miles due west, from the most westwardly bent or inclination of the river or straight Niagara, then we do by these presents, by virtue of the power and authority aforesaid, in the name and on behalf of the said commonwealth of Massachusetts, transfer, quit-claim, cede and convey to the United States of America, for their benefit, Massachusetts inclusive, all right, title and estate, of and in, as well the soil as the jurisdiction, which the said commonwealth hath to the territory or tract of country within the limits

of the Massachusetts charter, situate and lying west of the following line, that is to say: A meridian line to be drawn from the forty-fifth degree of north latitude, through a point twenty miles due west from the most westerly bent or inclination of the river or straight Niagara; thence by the said meridian line, to the most southerly side line of the territory, contained in the Massachusetts charter aforesaid, for the purposes in the said recited acts declared, and to the uses in a resolve of Congress, of the tenth day of October, one thousand seven hundred and eighty, mentioned. In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names and affixed our seals, in Con. gress, this nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-five, and of the independence of the United States of America, the ninth.

S. HOLTEN,
RUFUS KING.

Resolved, That Congress accept said deed of ces- Cession acsion; and that the same be recorded and enrolled cepted. among the acts of the United States, in Congress assembled.

No. 4.

Connecticut.

The delegates from Connecticut having thereupon Resolution of proceeded and executed a deed of cession, agreeable Congress, to the resolution of the 26th May last, in the words Sept. 14, following:

1786.

To all who shall see these presents, we, William Deed of cesSamuel Johnson and Jonathan Sturges, the under- sion. written delegates for the state of Connecticut, in the Congress of the United States, send greeting: Whereas, the general assembly of the state of Connecticut, on the second Thursday of May, in the year

of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty Act of Con six, passed an act in the following words, viz: "Be necticut reit enacted by the governor, council and representa- cited.

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