Page:New Brunswick Magazine Issue 1.djvu/82

lands, in which government officials vied with retired army officers in securing the most desirable locations. In some instances the lands were already occupied and grants promised to those in possession; in other instances they had been reserved for certain applicants till the king's pleasure should be known. Now, however, all who were interested began to be anxious to secure their grants in due form. James Simonds, therefore, memorialized the Governor and Council of Nova Scotia for a grant of 3,000 acres for himself and associates. The memorial was duly considered and on the 24th December, 1764, it was agreed that Mr. Simonds should for the present have license to occupy the said land.

The year that followed is remarkable in the history of Nova Scotia for the reckless and prodigal fashion in which grants were issued.^[1] A species of land hunger seems to have pervaded all classes of society, more particularly the government officials and army officers The importunity with which many applicants pressed for a formal grant of the lands promised or reserved for them is probably accounted for by the following remark in one of Hon. Charles Morris' letters, in which he characterizes the year 1765 as "A time when there was a great crowd of business in the publick offices on account of the Stamp Acts' taking place and the people pressing hard for their grants in order to save the stamp duties."

Mr. Simonds was obliged to make at least two visits to Halifax to interview the government in the interests of himself and his partners. As a result, on the 2nd October, 1765, a grant was made to him, in conjunction with his brother Richard, and James White, described as follows: