Mr. DOOLITTLE. England ceded to as land on the north side of NewHampshire, on the north side of NewYerk and Vermont, and on the north side of Minnesota, a very large tract ofcountry. England, it is true, laid claim to this land. She did not, however, claim it by right, but by a kind of military necessity. She wanted it and must insist upon having the land north of the river StJohn in order that she could have military communication, and it was upon that ground that England pressed her claim with a View to her military necessities, and she would not allow the State of Maine to own what really belonged to her within the valley of the StJohn, north of the river StJohn. That was the controversy undoubtedly between the 2 Governments. By the treaty of whington it was.a eed that we should cede a 1 north of the Stohn, which was I say a ccssion of what Maine claimed to be hers of right of over 5,000 square miles, 3, 200,000 acres. It is true in the same treaty we acquired Rouses Point in NewYork; we acquired some disputed lands on the north of NewHampshire and Vermont, and we acquired also between Pigeon river, I think, and the Lake of the Woods, on the north side of Minnesota, a very large tract of country, and we settled our northern boundary. To the 2 States, Massachusetts and Maine, who owned the lands in the State of Maine that once belonged to the State of Massachusetts, the sum of $300,000 was paid by way of l compensation for the territory which was surrendered on the north side of the StJohn; but on the south side of the StJohn a considerable portion of the lands which belonged to the State of Maine and the State of Massachusetts had been entered a on by settlers claiming to come in under the ritish authorities and occupy, and they had selected many of the very best lands. As a matter of course settlers going into a territory select the bet lands, the valleys, &c. In order to settle that matter and adjust it, the U.S. agreed, in this treaty of Washington, in the 4th article, as follows: “All grants of lands heretofore made by either party within the limits of the terrilory which bythis treaty falls within the dominions oft in other party shall be held valid. ratified and confirmed to the personsin possessionunder such grants. to the same extent as if such territory had by this treaty fallen within the domiisions of the party by whom such grants wero made; and all equitable possessory clnims arising front a possession and improvement of any lot or parcel of land by the person actually in possession, or by those under whom such personclaims. for more than 6 years before the date of this treaty shall in like manner be deemed valid and be confirmed and uicted by a releasetothe personentitled thereto of t a title to such lot or parcel of liuid so describedas best to include the improvementsmade thereon; and in all other respects the 2 contracting parties agreeto deal upon the mostliberal principles of equity with the settlers actually dwelling upon the territory falling to them. respectively. which has heretofore been in dispute between them." As it was unknown how many settlers there were in this new region of the State of Maine, and how many of the lands south of the StJohn belonging to the States of Maine and Massachusetts had been occupied by them, here was this general provision made that the U.S., on its part, agreedthat release of title should be executed by the States of Maine and Massachusetts to althose persons that had gone in there claiming the lands from the English authorities, or who were settled upon these lands, making improvements upon them. As it was uncertain how many there were on those lands, the States of Maine and Massachusetts instituted a jomt commission as early as 1843; and it was ascertained by the report of the 1st commission that of the and s which were held in common between the States of Maine and Massachusetts 53, 822 acres were thus occupied, and deeds were executed by Maine and the lands. It was also found that 1, 621 acres were the separate property of the state of maine. Then there was a 2nd commission; and the 2nd commission, which was under the State of Maine, foundthat there was 68, 454 acres of land which belonged to the State of Maine exclusively and also 8, 107 acres of land which belonged to private proprietors in the Eaton grant in Plymouth township. These 8, 107 acres Congress has appropriated by law the sum of money necessary to ay for; and I think Congress paid for them at it out the rate of 4 dollars peracre, amounting to over 32,000 dollars. Those private individuals who had grants or pretended nts have got their money; but the States of 9 and Massachusetts have received nothin, althou it they have executed this release of their lands, and the best lands undoubtedly that could be found in that section, because such are the lands upon which the settlers would make their improvements. In going into a computation and allowing the States of Maine and Massachusetts but $1 25 peracre for these lands, the selected lands by the settlers, we found that Massachuse tts