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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Minutes of the North Carolina Governor's Council
North Carolina. Council
May 01, 1755
Volume 05, Pages 490-491


At a Council held at Edenton 1st day of May 1755
Present His Excellency the Governour
The Honble John Rutherford Esqr
The Honble James Craven Esqr
The Honble Francis Corbin Esqr
The Honble Henry McCulloch Esqr

His Excellency produced several Letters (relating to the Boundary Line between this Province and South Carolina) from Governour Glenn, with a Copy of a Commission granted to George Hunter Esqr and Mr John Pearson, together with a Copy of the Report of the Committee of the Assembly of South Carolina, which Report is as follows.

That in Obedience to the Instructions given to your Committee, they met several times during the recess of the House, and took into their consideration the Letters from His Excellency Governour Glenn to Mr Rowan President, and to His Excellency Arthur Dobbs Esqr Governour of North Carolina, and Mr Dobbs answer to our Governour relating to the Boundary Line between this Province and North Carolina.

That your Committee conceiving that the fixing and ascertaining the Line properly, is a matter of the highest importance to this Province, are of Opinion and do recommend to the House, that a Survey be made of Pedee Waccamaw and Cape Fear Rivers as soon as possible, and which the Committee think the most necessary, as they have been informed and have good reason to believe that Govr Dobbs has already transmitted to the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations his reasons for fixing the Line as mentioned in his said Letter, and for the making of such Survey, your Committee take the liberty to recommend George Hunter Esqr Surveyor General and Mr John Pearson.

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That as the Survey mentioned, is only meant and intended to investigate the Truth of Facts, without Partiality to either Province your Committee recommend that our Governour be addressed to use his best endeavours with Governour Dobbs to appoint Surveyors to join our Surveyors, for the purposes aforesaid, and which said survey when perfected and compleated if approved and admitted by both Provinces as just and true may be transmitted to the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, or laid before His Majesty in Council if necessary this your Committee are humbly of Opinion would serve to illustrate the Case, and would have a tendency to accelerate and hasten the deliberation of His Majesty, or of the Lords of Trade on a matter so very interesting to both Provinces But if Gov. Dobbs should decline such appointment, then that he would be pleased to favour our Governour with a Copy of the Instruction which revoked the former Instruction mentioned in his Letter, and to give Orders that our Surveyors may meet with no Obstruction or Interruption from the people in his Government in making such Surveys, and who by the help of such new Instruction would be greatly assisted in the making thereof This last request your Committee think very necessary to make, as they are well informed that many of our Deputy Surveyors are often ill treated, abused, and threatened to be carried into North Carolina whilst in the Execution of their Offices, and surveying Lands actually in this Province

Your Committee in obedience to the Commands of the House prepared and transmitted a Letter to James Crockatt Esqr desiring him to use his best endeavours to prevent any determination being had at the Board of Trade, or by His Majesty in Council upon that Subject, untill a true State of the Case can be sent from this Province. In which Letter your Committee enclosed Copys of the aforesaid Letters

This Board is of Opinion, that as His Excellency has already wrote to the Board of Trade on that Subject, it will not be so proper to joyn any Surveyors from this Province, but can see no Inconveniency can arise from the South Carolina Surveyors being permitted to make true Draughts of the Rivers mentioned in their Report, Provided the same is done at the Expence of the Government of South Carolina, and that the Inhabitants of this Province shall not be encouraged to give any Interruption.