THE PROPOSED PROVINCE OF NEW IRELAND of New England 1780 vol 2 page 2I9 Sprague's Journal of Maine History The Proposed Province of New Ireland By THE EDITOR. It is well known that during the Revolution there were some in New England who were not in sympathy with the Colonists in their resistance to what they regarded as the oppression of King George's government, and never adhered to their cause. These were called Loyalists. At one time the British government fostered a scheme of severing a portion of Maine from Massachusetts and erecting it into a province to be colonized by the Loyalists, under the name of New Ireland.' August to, 1780, an order was approved in Cabinet and by the King on the following day from which we make extracts: It being judged proper and necessary to separate the Country lying to the North East of the Piscataway River from the Province of Massachusetts Bay, is it proposed to erect so much of it as lies between Sawkno River and the St. Croix (which is the South West boundary of Nova Scotia) and to extend from the Sea between two North Lines drawn from the Heads of those Rivers to the Boundary of Canada, into a New Province, which from its situation between the New England Provinces and Nova Scotia, may with great propriety be called New Ireland, especially as the Aera of its establishment is coeval with that of opening the trade of Ireland with the American Provinces. The remainder of the Country lying between the Sawkno River and the Piscatway it is proposed to throw into New Hamp-- shire in order to give that Province a greater Front on the Sea than it now has, and for reasons of deeper policy. It is proposed that the Constitution of the New Province should be similar to that of East Florida at the outset consisting of only a Governor and Council, a Chief Jusice, and other Civil Officers, provided for by Estimate granted by Parliament, but that a declaration be made of the King's Inten- tion to give it a complete local Legislative whenever the Circumstances of the Province will admit of it; and it may be proper to declare what that Legislative will be, as a Model of the Constitution wished to take place throughout America. It has been found by sad experience that the Democratic power is pre- dominant in all parts of British America. It is in vain to expert the Gov- ernor to possess the Shadow even of the Influense of the Crown to balance it, and the Council in the Royal Governments holding their Seats at the 220 SPRAGUE'S JOURNAL OF MAINE HISTORY pleasure of the Governor, Men of personal worth of the Assembly to seats eight prefer being members at that Board, and therefore the Members of it being chiefly officers of the Crown without property and but little of the Aristocratick Influence to the Regal Authority of the Governor, altho they form a sort of Middle Branch of the Legislature. One of its purposes was set forth as follows: To reward or Indemnify the Loyal Sufferers from the other Province, and at the same time lay the groound of an Aristocratic Power, the Lands to be granted in large Tracts to the most Meritorious and to be by them leased to the lower People in manner as has been practiced in New York, which is the only Province in which there is a Tenantry, and was the least inclined to Rebellion. The poorest Loyal Sufferers should however have Grants from the Crown. Dr. John Calef(1) was the American agent for the Loyalists in London, and this matter was later revived by him and in March, 1782 the Cabinet granted the prayer of the petition, but that is as far as it ever progressed. It has been stated' that the proposed Colony received its death blow from an opinion rendered by the Attorney General of Eng- land who entertained scruples about violating the sacredness of the chartered rights of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay. 'Dr. John Calef was a member of the General iCourt of Massachusetts Bay in 1769. Documentary History of Maine (Baxter MSS) Vol. 14, P. 79. (2) Joseph Williamson, lb. p. 156. Mr. Samuel Lane Boardman of Augusta, author of "Six Private Libraries of Bangor," reference to which is made in the journal (Vol. 2, P. 93) : The Six Private Libraries of Bangor, Maine Instead, I only knew of you as a historian and antiquarian, but I am glad you have the copy now, as I have not a perfect copy myself. All were given away. I had intended to write a second volume and visited Dr. Coe's ave embraced library with that object in view. The volume would have also a description of General Hamlin's library, also Wilfred Hen- nessy's library (Mr. Hennessy is secretary of the Bangor Chamber of Commerce; and the library of Charles Kennedy who is in the E. F. Dillingham book store.)" ********* Joseph Williamson, in Maine Historical Conections, Vol. 1 (Second Series) p. 147. 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