UNITED EMPIRE LOYALISTS' GRANTS.

At the Council Chamber at Quebec,-Monday 9th. November, 1789.

Present:

His Excellency the Right Honorable LORD DORCHESTER.
The Honorable WILLIAM SMITH, Chief Juftice,

His Lorfhip intimated to the Council that it remained a Queftion, upon the late Regulation for the Difpofition of the Wafte Lands of the Crown, whether the Boards, conftituted for that purpofe were authorifed to make Locations to the Sons of Loyalifts, on their coming to full Age and that it was his wifh to put a Mark of Honor upon the families who had adhered to the Unity of the Empire, and joined the Royal Standard in America before the Treaty of Separation in the year 1783.

The Council concurring with his Lordfhip it is accordingly ORDERED,

That the feveral Land Boards take Courfe for preferving a Regiftry of the Names of all Perfons falling under the Defcription aforementioned to the End that their Pofterity may be difcriminated, from future fettlers, in the Parifh Regifters and Rolls of the Militia, of their refpective Diftricts, and other Public Remembrancers of the Province, as proper Objects by their perfevering in the Fidelity and Conduct, fo honorable to their Anceftors, for diftinguifhed Benefits and Privileges.

And it is alfo ordered, that the faid Land Boards may in every fuch cafe provide not only for the Sons of thofe Loyalifts, as they arrive to full Age, but for their Daughters alfo of that Age, or on their Marriage affigning to each a Lot of Two hundred Acres, more or lefs, provided neverthelefs that they refpectively comply with the general Regulations, and that it fhall fatisfactorily appear that there has been no Default in the due Cultivation and Improvement of the Lands already affigned to the Head of the Family of which they are Members.

J. WILLIAMS, C.C.

U. E. having preferred to this Board a Petition addreffed to his Excellency the Governor in Council for a Grant of Two Hundred Acres of Land, in the Townfhip of

and there being no Default in the due Cultivation and Improve-
ment of the Lands, already affigned to the faid
U. E.
Father in the Townfhip of
in the Diftrict
We therefore hereby affign to the faid

U. E.

Lot No.

of

Conceffion

the

in

Townfhip of in the Diftrict of containing Two Hundred Acres more or lefs, the fame being Vacant, and the Petitioner's Name duly entered on the Plan and Schedule of Locations of the faid Townfhip. And the faid U. E. is hereby authorized to occupy and improve the faid Lands, and having improved the fame fhall receive a Grant thereof to

Diftrict of

and
Heirs, or Devifees in due Form, on fuch Terms and
Conditions as it fhall pleafe His Majefty to ordain. And all per-
fons are defired to take Notice that this Affignment, and all others
of a fimiliar Nature, ARE NOT TBANSFERABLE by Purchafe, Dona-
tion, or otherwife, on any Pretence whatever, except by an Act
under the Signature of the Board for the Diftrict, in which the
Lands are fituated, which is to be endorfed upon this Certificate.

Given at the Land Office Board for the Diftrict of
this

Day of

Thoufand Seven Hundred and

By Order of the Board,

Acting Surveyor for the Diftrict of

One

Whereas there was this day read at the Board the following Draft of Regulations recommended by a Committee of the whole Council, in their Report dated the 12th inftant, on a Report of the Land Committee dated the 4th. of December, 1789, viz.

Whereas the eftablifhment of a uniform, clear, and expeditious courfe of proceeding, in the Land-granting Department, the late meafures for fettling the Wafte Lands of the Crown confidered, is important to the interefts of the Crown, as well as the fubject, particularly as the means of preventing uneafineffes that may arife on a queftion of fo delicate a nature as the extent of the promifed faith of Government on the one hand, and the fecurity of the fettler, or occupant, claiming lands, on the other, It is therefore ordered,

I.

That the feveral Boards, which are, or hereafter may be conftituted by the Governor, for the difpofal of the Wafte Lands of the Crown, in any part of the Province, keep a regular Journal of their tranfactions, prefixing to every day's entries the date, and the names of the members prefent.

II. That the Minute, upon every Petition, exprefs the name and prayer of the petitioner, and fhew the nature of the proof exhibited in fupport of his pretenfions, and the determination thereon.

III. That all orders or inftructions, given to the Boards, be entered at large on their Minutes, for preferving a complete record, both of their authorities and proceedings.

IV. That a full and fair copy of fuch Journals be tranfmitted every three months, or oftner, as the cafe may require, to the Office of the Governor's Secretary, under the fignature of three or more members of the Board, together with all the petitions therein reported upon, whether granted, rejected, or recommended.

V.

That the copies of the faid Journal or Minutes be accompanied, or followed, by regular returns of the locations, made from time to time, by the Acting Surveyors of the refpective diftricts, under the authority of the Boards, expreffing the name of the grantee, the number of acres located, the number of the lots, and the name of the Townfhip, and the date of the certificate or authority of the Board, under which the location was made.

VI. That all reports, journals, writings and papers, of any kind whatever, touching the bufinefs of the Land Office Department, and coming to the Council-Office as the proper depofit, be kept by the Clerk of the Council, feperate from all the other books, writings and papers in his Office, and that they be fo difpofed of, as to make a refort to them at all times, as eafy and fatisfactory as poffible. And that whenever the mafs of the Land-Office papers fhall be fo greatly encreafed, as to embarafs the daily ordinary refearches, they be put up into boxes of convenient fizes, numbered, and that there be a book kept for an alphabetical idex, fhewing in the readieft manner, the contents of each box, and that every paper be marked with the number of the box, to the end that it may be reftored to its proper place, and confufion be thereby avoided. And it is committed to the land Committee, for the time being, to fuperintend the execution of the latter part of this order, and to report what may be done thereon, for directing fuch further courfe as the cafe may require.

And it is alfo ordered, that the faid book or index be always open to public accefs in the Council-Office, and a copy ready for the call of any Committee of the Council, and efpecially of the Land Committee, together with fuch additions as may be thereunto made, by the increafe of the number of boxes.

His Lordship, taking the faid Regulations into Confideration, was pleafed, with the advice of the Council, to approve the fame, and to ORDER, as it is hereby ORDERED that they be duly and punctually complied with and carried into Execution, whereof the different Land Office Boards, and all other Perfons whom it may concern, are to take Notice, and govern themfelves accordingly. V. WILLIAMS, C.C.

Whereas there was this day read at the Board the following Draft of Regulations recommended by a Committee of the whole Council, in their Report dated the 12th inftant, on a Report of the Land Committee dated the 4th. of December, 1789, viz.

Whereas it is expedient on account of the remotenefs of the new Diftricts, and the variety of other duties, which require the attention of the Surveyor General's Office at Quebec, to relieve that Office from the burden of executing the order of the Governor in Council of the 22d October 1788, for putting certain reduced Officers upon an equal footing with thofe of the late 84th. Regiment, and to render that labour more eafy, by dividing it among the Land Office Boards in the feveral Diftricts, where, on account of the refidence of the perfons concerned, their pretenfions may be inveftigated with accuracy and difpatch, provided a proper courfe be prefcribed to the Boards for enabling them, with due certainty, to difcriminate the proper objects of the intended bounty of the Government,

I.

IT IS THEREFore Ordered,

That all proceedings by the Surveyor General's Office for executing the aforementioned order of the Governor in Council of the 22nd. October 1788, be difcontinued, that the period for admitting claims under that order be extended to the firft day of May in the year one thoufand feven hundred and ninety one, and that all applications for Lands, in confequence thereof, be made to the refpective Boards, which are, or hereafter may be, appointed by the Governor, in any part of the Province, in the ufual form of Petitions to the Governor in Council.