.MTUzNA.MTYyMDg

218

New Hampshire. It owns also several Island on the coast, and a large number of reserved lots and tracts in many of the settled towns and plantations in different parts of the State. Some of these last mentioned tracts, it is apprehended, are rather deteriorating than advancing in value, in consequence of depredations upon the timber. It will, no doubt, be deemed expedient to put our lands into the market, in such quantities as will meet the demand, for purposes of actual settlement. As this demand is already considerable, and will probably be annually increasing, it may be for the public interest to adopt such a system for the management of these lands generally as will more effectually ensure a correct knowledge and estimate of their value and facilitate their sale and settlement. There will probably be no further division of the lands belonging in common to Massachusetts and its State until the settlement, by the governments of the United States and Great Britain, of the line which forms our north eastern boundary. Although this adjustment, of deep interest to us, both as it regards property and jurisdiction, has been protracted far beyond our expectations, yet it will be satisfactory to the people of this State to learn that the delay is attributable to circumstances in no wise controllable by our own government. In consequence of the disagreement of the Commissioners appointed under the fifth article of the treaty of Ghent, a proposition has been made by the govern