Authorises

of a line 120

nia.

tives, in general court assembled, and by the authority of the same, that the delegates of this state or any two of them who shall be attending the Congress of the United States, be and they are hereby directed, authorised and fully empowered, in the name and behalf of this state, to make, execute and deliver, under their hands and seals, an ample deed of release and cession of all the right, title, interest, jurisdiction and claim of the state of Connecticut, to certain western lands, beginning at the completion of the forty-first degree of north latitude, one hundred and twenty miles west of the western boundary line of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as now claimed by said commonwealth, and from thence by a line drawn a cession of north, parallel to, and one hundred and twenty miles territory west west of the said west line of Pennsylvania, and to miles west of continue north until it comes to forty-two degrees the western and two minutes north latitude. Whereby all the boundary of right, title, interest, jurisdiction and claim of the state Pennsylva- of Connecticut, to the lands lying west of said line to be drawn as aforementioned, one hundred and twenty miles west of the western boundary line of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as now claimed by said commonwealth, shall be included, released and ceded to the United States in Congress assembled, for the common use and benefit of the said States, Connecticut inclusive." Now, therefore, know ye, that we, the said William Samuel Johnson and Jonathan Sturges, by virtue of the power and authority to us committed by the said act of the general assembly of Connecticut, before recited, in the name and for and on behalf of the said state of Connecticut, do by these presents assign, transfer, quit-claim, cede and convey to the United States of America, for their benefit, Connecticut inclusive, all the right, title, interest, jurisdiction and claim, which the said state of Connecticut hath in and to the beforementioned and described territory or tract of country, as the same is bounded and described in the said act of assembly, for the uses in the said recited act of assembly declared. In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals, this thirteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-six, and of the sovereignty and inde.

Territory accordingly

ceded.

pendence of the United States of America, the ele

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

Act of Congress of 28th April, 1800.

sue letters

U. S. to the

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Represen- Act of Contatives of the United States of America, in Congress as- gress, 28th of April, 1800. sembled, That the President of the United States be, vi. Cong. and he hereby is authorised to execute and deliver chap. 38. letters patent, in the name and behalf of the United The President may is States, to the governor of the state of Connecticut for the time being, for the use and benefit of the per- patent resons holding and claiming under the state of Connec. leasing the ticut, their heirs and assigns forever, whereby all the right of the right, title, interest and estate of the United States, soil of the to the soil of that tract of land lying west of the west Western Reline of Pennsylvania, as claimed by the state of Penn- serve. sylvania, and as the same has been actually settled, ascertained and run, in conformity to an agreement between the said state of Pennsylvania and the state of Virginia, and extending from said line westward one hundred and twenty statute miles in length, and in breadth throughout the said limits in length from the completion of the forty-first degree of north latitude, until it comes to forty-two degrees and two minutes north latitude, including all that territory commonly called the Western Reserve of Connecticut, and which was excepted by said state of Connecticut

Provided Connecticut shall renounce all

a certain line,

out of the cession by the said state, heretofore made to the United States, and accepted by a resolution of Congress of the fourteenth of September, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-six, shall be released and conveyed as aforesaid, to the said governor of Connecticut, and his successors in said office, forever, for the purpose of quieting the grantees and purchasers under said state of Connecticut, and confirming their titles to the soil of the said tract of land.

Provided however, That such letters patent shall not be executed and delivered, unless the state of Connecticut shall, within eight months from passing this act, by a legislative act, renounce forever, for the her claims to use and benefit of the United States, and of the seveJands beyond ral individual states who may be therein concerned respectively, and of all those deriving claims or titles from them or any of them, all territorial and jurisdictional claims whatever, under any grant, charter or charters whatever, to the soil and jurisdiction of any and all lands whatever lying westward, north-westward, and south-westward of those counties in the state of Connecticut, which are bounded westwardly by the eastern line of the state of New York, as ascertained by agreement between Connecticut and New York, in the year one thousand seven hundred and thirty-three, excepting only from such renuncia. tion the claim of said state of Connecticut, and of those claiming from or under the said state, to the soil of said tract of land, herein described under the name of the Western Reserve of Connecticut.

and execute

a deed relinquishing her jurisdictional claim to the Western Re

serve,

And provided also, That the said state of Connecticut shall, within the said eight months from and after passing this act, by the agent or agents of said state, duly authorised by the legislature thereof, execute and deliver to the acceptance of the President of the United States, a deed expressly releasing to the United States, the jurisdictional claim of the said state of Connecticut, to the said tract of land herein described under the name of the Western Reserve of Connecticut, and shall deposit an exemplification of said act of renunciation, under the seal of the said state of Connecticut, together with said deed releasing said jurisdiction, in the office of the department of state

of the United States, which deed of cession when so deposited shall vest the jurisdiction of said territory

in the United States: Provided, that neither this act, Saving of nor any thing contained therein, shall be construed so certain conas in any manner to draw into question the conclusive structions. settlement of the dispute between Pennsylvania and Connecticut, by the decree of the federal court at Trenton, nor to impair the right of Pennsylvania or any other state, or of any person or persons claiming under that or any other state, in any existing dispute concerning the right, either of soil or of jurisdiction, with the state of Connecticut, or with any person or persons claiming under the state of Connecticut : And provided also, that nothing herein contained, shall be construed in any manner to pledge the United States for the extinguishment of the Indian title to the said lands, or further than merely to pass the title of the United States thereto.

Deed and Act of Connecticut.

To all who shall see these presents; I, Jonathan Trumbull, governor of the state of Connecticut, send greeting:

Whereas, the general assembly of the state of

Connecticut, at their session holden in Hartford, on Act of Conthe second Thursday of May, one thousand and eight necticut, hundred, passed an act, entitled, "An act renounc- May, 1800. ing the claims of this state to certain lands, therein mentioned," in the words following, to wit: "Whereas, the Congress of the United States, at their session begun and holden, in the city of Philadelphia, on the first Monday of December, in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-nine, made and passed an act, in the words following, to wit: [here follows the preceding act of Congress, of the 28th of April, 1800:] therefore, in consideration of the terms, and in compliance with the provisions and conditions of the said act," Be it enacted, by the governor and council, and House of Representatives, in general lands beyond court assembled, that the state of Connecticut doth a certain line hereby renounce forever, for the use and benefit of renounced.

Claims to

the United States, and of the several individual states, who may be therein concerned respectively, and of all those deriving claims or titles from them or any of them, all territorial and jurisdictional claims whatever, under any grant, charter or charters whatever, to the soil and jurisdiction of any and all lands whatever lying westward, northwestward and southwestward of those counties in the state of Connecticut, which are bounded westwardly by the eastern line of the state of New York, as ascertained by agreement between Connecticut and New York, in the year one thousand seven hundred and thirty-three; excepting only from this renunciation, the claim of the said state of Connecticut, and of those claiming from or under the said state of Connecticut, to the soil of said tract of land, in said act of Congress, described under the name of the Western Reserve of Connecticut. And Governor au- be it further enacted, that the governor of this state for the time being, be, and hereby is empowered, in the name and behalf of this state, to execute and deliver to the acceptance of the President of the United States a deed of the form and tenor, directed by the said act of Congress, expressly releasing to the United States the jurisdictional claims of the state of Connecticut, to all that territory called the Western Reserve of Connecticut, according to the description thereof in said act of Congress, and in as full and ample manner as therein is required.

thorised to

relinquish claim of jurisdiction to

the Western

Reserve.

Governor's deed of release, 30th May, 1800.

Therefore, know ye, that I, Jonathan Trumbull, governor of the state of Connecticut, by virtue of the powers vested in me as aforesaid, do by these presents, in the name and for and on behalf of the said state, remise, release and forever quit-claim to the United States, the jurisdictional claim of the state of Connecticut, to all that tract of land called in the aforesaid act of Congress, the Western Reserve of Connecticut, and as the same therein under that name is particularly and fully described. In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name, and affixed my seal, in the council chamber at Hartford, in the state of Connecticut, this thirtieth day of May, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred, and in the twenty-fourth year of the independence of the United States.

JONATHAN TRUMBULL, (L. s.)