Scope and Content: By the agreement between Massachusetts and New York signed in Hartford on Dec. 16, 1786, New York was awarded total sovereignty over extensive disputed lands west of the Hudson River, with Massachusetts retaining right of preemption to purchase such lands from the Indians. (See: Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State. Agreement between Massachusetts and New York relating to western lands, 1784-1793 ((M-Ar)31X).)  This right of preemption was sold to various third parties in the years following the agreement, as the Massachusetts treasury was in a depleted state because of debts incurred from the Revolutionary War and Shays’ Rebellion.  Sale was ordinarily in the form of a bond, accounts of redemption payments for which were kept by the state treasurer. –Resolves 1790, Jan 1791 Sess, c 121 (Mar. 8, 1791), established a committee (Samuel Phillips, Nathaniel Wells, David Cobb, William Eustis, Thomas Davis) to sell Commonwealth holdings reacquired from Gorham and Phelps (see series (M-Ar)2466X). On Mar. 12, 1791 they were sold to Samuel Ogden, who conveyed right of preemption to Robert Morris on May 11. The two submitted four bonds as promised payment of four deeds for the land. The deeds were held by trustees appointed by both parties (Nathaniel Appleton, Oliver Wendell, and John Lowell) until the bonds were satisfied in 1793-1794. Resolves 1791, c 65 (June 17, 1791) confirmed the final report of the committee (see: Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State. Passed resolves ((M-Ar)228), directing the deposit of the described papers with the treasurer (originally, per resolve of Mar. 8, 1791, with the state secretary–see: (M-Ar)123X below). Per Resolves 1792, May Sess, c 30, additional Gorham and Phelps land was sold to Robert Morris. Per Resolves 1792, Jan 1793 Sess, c 5 (Feb. 5, 1793), Morris replaced two of the bonds with a bond of his own for 10,000 pounds, dated Dec. 29, 1792, and deposited United States securities as collateral. The Commonwealth sold off these securities in 1797 to partially satisfy the bonds.  Meantime, from Dec. 1792 to July 1793, Morris sold most of his holdings to the Holland Land Company, while retaining what was called the Morris Reserve.
Notes: Extracted from: Massachusetts. Treasury Dept. Deeds for lands owned by the Commonwealth, 1817-1975 ((M-Ar)2468X)
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