To  these  sources  of  difficulty,  incident  to  the  formation  of  all
such  confederacies,  were  added  two  others  one  of  a  temporary,  the
other  of  a  permanent  nature.  The  first  was  the  Case  of  the  Crown
lands,  so  called  because  they  had  been  held  by  the  British  Crown,
and  being  ungranted  to  individuals  when,  its  authority  ceased,  were
considered  by  the  States  within  whose  charters  or  asserted  limits
they  lay,  as  devolving  on  them;  whilst  it  was  contended  by  the  others,
that  being  wrested  from  the  dethroned  authority  by  the  equal
exertion  of  all,  they  resulted  of  right  and  in  equity  to  the  benefit  of
all.  The  lands  being  of  vast  extent  and  of  growing  value,  were  the
occasion  of  much  discussion  &  heart-burning;  &  proved  the  most
obstinate  of  the  impediments  to  an  earlier  consummation  of  the  plan
of  federal  Govt.  The  State  of  Maryland  the  last  that  acceded  to
it  held  out  as  already  noticed  till  March  i.  1781.  and  then  yielded
only  to  the  hope  that  by  giving  a  Stable  &  authoritative  character
to  the  Confederation,  a  successful  termination  of  the  contest  might
be  accelerated.  The  dispute  was  happily  compromised  by  success-
ive surrenders  of  portions  of  the  territory  by  the  States  having  exclu-
sive claims  to  it,  and  acceptances  of  them  by  Congress.
