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256 HISTORY OF MARYLAND.
by the beginning of the three and fortieth degree of northern latitude, and on the south
by a circle drawn at twelve miles distance from New Castle, northward and westward,
unto the beginning of the fortieth degree of northern latitude, and then by a straight line
westward to the limits of longitude above mentioned."
This singular definition of the southern boundary, which left open the
question, whether this boundary circle was to be a circle of twelve miles in
circumference, or to be drawn around a diameter of twelve miles passing
through New Castle, or with a radius of twelve miles beginning in New
Castle, was the origin of one of the present boundary lines of this State, and
was one of the principal sources of the contention between Baltimore and
Penn.
The charter grants the free use of all ports, bays, rivers and waters of the
province, and of their produce, and of all mines, and the fee of the soil to
William Penn, to be holden in soccage tenure, yielding ten beaver skins
annually, and one-fifth of the gold and silver discovered, to the king.
The charter of Pennsylvania, although copiedx from that of Maryland,
differed from it in two cardinal points. One of these reserved to parliament
the right to levy taxes and the other required a copy of all colonial laws to
be sent to England for the approbation of the privy council. Neither of
these restrictions were in the Maryland charter, which was by far the most
liberal of any granted to American provinces. Maryland, as a palatinate
with the jura regalia vested in the proprietary, was almost an independent
kingdom, bound to no service to the British crown save the symbolical
yearly delivery of two Indian arrows.
Such being the grant, the king on the 12th of April, by a public declaration, announced to all the inhabitants of the province, that William Penn
was their absolute proprietary, and invested with all powers neccessary for
the government. On the 20th of the same month he commissioned his cousin,
William Markham, to be deputy-governor of the province, and in May he
was despatched to take possession of it, bearing with him letters from
William Penn, and the following letter from Charles II. to Lord Baltimore,
apprising him of the grant, and requiring the two proprietaries to adjust the
boundaries between their respective provinces according to the limits set
forth in their charters:
" Right Trusty & Welbeloved Wee greet you well Whereas by Our Letters Patents
bearing date the 4th day of March last past, Wee have been graciously pleased out of Our
Royall Bounty & the singular regard Wee have to the merits and services of Sr William
Penn deceased to give & grant to Our Trusty & Welbeloved subject William Penn, Esqr
son & heir to the said Sr William Penn a certain Tract of Land in America by the name
of Pensilvania, as the same is bounded on the East by Delaware River from twelve miles
distance Northward of New Castle Town vnto the 43th Degree of Northern Latitude if
the said River doth extend so farr Northward, and if the said River shall not extend so
farr Northward, then by the said River so farr as it doth extend; And from the Head of
the said River the Eastern Bounds to be determined by a Meridian line to be drawn from
1 Chalmers, p. 659.
| Title | History of Maryland - 1 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000281 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | 256 HISTORY OF MARYLAND. by the beginning of the three and fortieth degree of northern latitude, and on the south by a circle drawn at twelve miles distance from New Castle, northward and westward, unto the beginning of the fortieth degree of northern latitude, and then by a straight line westward to the limits of longitude above mentioned." This singular definition of the southern boundary, which left open the question, whether this boundary circle was to be a circle of twelve miles in circumference, or to be drawn around a diameter of twelve miles passing through New Castle, or with a radius of twelve miles beginning in New Castle, was the origin of one of the present boundary lines of this State, and was one of the principal sources of the contention between Baltimore and Penn. The charter grants the free use of all ports, bays, rivers and waters of the province, and of their produce, and of all mines, and the fee of the soil to William Penn, to be holden in soccage tenure, yielding ten beaver skins annually, and one-fifth of the gold and silver discovered, to the king. The charter of Pennsylvania, although copiedx from that of Maryland, differed from it in two cardinal points. One of these reserved to parliament the right to levy taxes and the other required a copy of all colonial laws to be sent to England for the approbation of the privy council. Neither of these restrictions were in the Maryland charter, which was by far the most liberal of any granted to American provinces. Maryland, as a palatinate with the jura regalia vested in the proprietary, was almost an independent kingdom, bound to no service to the British crown save the symbolical yearly delivery of two Indian arrows. Such being the grant, the king on the 12th of April, by a public declaration, announced to all the inhabitants of the province, that William Penn was their absolute proprietary, and invested with all powers neccessary for the government. On the 20th of the same month he commissioned his cousin, William Markham, to be deputy-governor of the province, and in May he was despatched to take possession of it, bearing with him letters from William Penn, and the following letter from Charles II. to Lord Baltimore, apprising him of the grant, and requiring the two proprietaries to adjust the boundaries between their respective provinces according to the limits set forth in their charters: " Right Trusty & Welbeloved Wee greet you well Whereas by Our Letters Patents bearing date the 4th day of March last past, Wee have been graciously pleased out of Our Royall Bounty & the singular regard Wee have to the merits and services of Sr William Penn deceased to give & grant to Our Trusty & Welbeloved subject William Penn, Esqr son & heir to the said Sr William Penn a certain Tract of Land in America by the name of Pensilvania, as the same is bounded on the East by Delaware River from twelve miles distance Northward of New Castle Town vnto the 43th Degree of Northern Latitude if the said River doth extend so farr Northward, and if the said River shall not extend so farr Northward, then by the said River so farr as it doth extend; And from the Head of the said River the Eastern Bounds to be determined by a Meridian line to be drawn from 1 Chalmers, p. 659. |
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