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satisfied, and uppon their petition to that effect, your honours were pleased to order the Surveyor-Generall to goe on forth with to give them two-thirds of their debt. In order to the possession whereof, the said Surveyor-Generall sent unto your petitioners diverse querries to be resolved, which they could not answer otherwise then together, for which cause they are convened to this citty.
- Now soe it is, may it please your Lordshipps, that since your petitioners former proceedings, as is above mentioned, the downe survey for most counties is come in, whereby it evidently appeares that the lands doe hold out above a third part more then did the estimate in the civill survey.
Your petitioners therefore doe most humbly pray that your honoures will be pleased to give order that they might be put into speedy possession of their full and entire satisfaction, according to the Act of Parliament, and according to their respective lotts, which were drawne at the last generall councill, and that for these following reasons, which they most humbly present, vizt:
1st. Whereas, uppon the civill survey, which was the rule on which only two-thirds was proposed, the downe admeasurement holding out soe much larger, as is before exsprest, in most counties that are admeasured, full satisfaction is now desired.
2d reason. The Act of Parliament, that gives the petitioners satisfaction for their whole debt entirely; and at the generall councill held in Aprill, 1654, it was resolved that they should take their satisfaction according to the Act, and according to the respective lotts then drawne.
3d reason.—The souldiery their arreares being very small, if their satisfaction were divided into two parts, itt would render the whole insignificant to them in a great measure.
4th reason,—The whole satisfaction may be received with the same trouble and expence as two-thirds may, and the satisfyeing of one-third hereafter will be as expensive as the whole now.
5th reason.—Itt will not be secure for the army to deliver up their bonds or debentures untill they have plenary satisfaction.
6th reason.—If any regiments, troopes, companyes, or private persons, shall be shutt out for want of lands, which the petitioners have noe cause to suspect, by meanes of satisfyeing the whole as aforesaid, and that uppon application to