Page:Journal of the Sixth Legislative Council of the Territory of Michigan.djvu/138

124 Mr. Durocher presented the account of John Farmer against the Council.

Mr. Millington presented the account of Lewis Hall.

The preceding accounts were severally referred to the committee on expenditures.

Mr. Martin presented the account of Josiah R. Dorr; which was referred to the committee on claims.

On motion of Mr. Moran, the resolutions, laid on the table yesterday, in relation to an extra session of the Legislative Council, were considered, and referred to the committee on territorial affairs.

Mr. Doty from the select committee, to whom the resolution of the 1st instant was referred, directing the preparation of a memorial to Congress on the subject of the southern boundary of this Territory, made the following report; two hundred copies of which were, on motion of Mr. Bacon, ordered to be printed:

That an effort is making, as your committee are informed, to obtain from Congress the recognition of a line, as the northern boundary of the states of Ohio and Indiana, which lies within the limits of this Territory as those limits were established by the ordinance of 1787 and the act of Congress of January 11, 1805. Upon the authority of these acts, the Territory of Michigan demands, as the right of the State of Michigan, that the fundamental line running east and west through the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan, and no other, shall be recognized as the line of division between her and those states.

In pursuance of this right your committee beg leave to submit the following views.

The state of Virginia claimed this Territory as a part of the country embraced within her charter which was granted in the year 1609: and she exercised the rights of sovereignty over it until she voluntarily transferred it to the United States.

At the session of her Assembly, begun the 20th day of October, 1783, an act was passed to authorize her delegates in Congress "to convey to the United States in Congress assembled, all the right of this commonwealth to the Territory northwestward of the river Ohio/' according to the terms and conditions contained in the act of Congress passed September 13, 1783, "that is to say, upon condition that the Territory so ceded shall be laid out and formed into states, containing a suitable extent of Territory, not less that one hundred nor more than one hundred and fifty miles square, or as near thereto as circumstances will admit, &c." These were the terms upon which Congress proposed to accept of a cession by all, or any, of the states claiming Territory in this region—without regard to the charter of those claims—which terms were acceded to by the States. The deed of Virginia was executed the 1st day of March, 1784; and on the 23d day of April following, Congress proceeded