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The Capital and the Bay: Narratives of Washington and the Chesapeake Bay Region, ca. 1600-1925
The Calvert papers, Vol INo. 5. SECRETARY KEMP TO LORD BALTIMORE.
[Indorsement.]
25 Aprill 1638 Mr Rich: Kemp to me. from Virginea against Mr Hawley.
[Superscription.]
To the Right Honoble and my very good Lord the Lord Baltimore these present
My Lord
By my Last of the 6th of Aprill I prsented yor Lorpp wth the duplicates of the Acts of our Last Assembly wth the whole proceedings thereof, And because what concerneth the interest of soe noble a ffreind may be noe vnwellcome Information to you I haue herewth presented yor Lorpp wth the Copye of the Pattent sent this yeare to my Lord Matravers.
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I beseech yor Lorpp to allow mee of yor favour in the acquainting you how it stands wth vs vpon the arrivall of the new Treasurer Mr Hawlye. The generall disgust of the Inhabitants was and is such against him that the Last Assembly had disabled him from that place, and power he holds, had not the Governor and Counsell curbd theire pceedings.
At that tyme Mr Hawlye had given noe other account to vs of the extent of his power then what his commission expressed wch warranted him noe further then what did belong to former Treasurers and expressly for the Receiuing of the quitt Rents in the Execution whereof ney ther the Governor nor any of the counsell conceiued any iniurye to themselues.
When the Assembly was dissolved, he then pduced to vs his Instructions, wherein ffines, and all other perquisites to the King were expresslye wthin the Lymitts of his commission, as allso all Grants of Land were first to passe his appbation, and allowance and vpon what tearmes they were to passe was left to his discretion.
In which particulars the Governor and Counsell had iust cause to doubt what his Intendments were.
The Governor found his mayne subsistance taken away, And in especiall manner such a mayme it must be to all succeeding Governors that how they can liue wthout forcing meanes of being from the people is not in my experience of the place to sett downe, for granting the Kings pension of one thowsand pounds p annum payed after the Rates of provision in this country (hiring or building of howsing being considered) it can in noe measure giue him supportance equall to the Quallitye of his place.
And for the Grants of Land as the tearmes haue ben allwayes certeine soe the priviledge and power of granting haue by Antient Charter bene given and as in all succeeding
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tymes soe the Last yeare were againe confirmed to the Governor and Counsell. This suddein Alteration as it gives infinite distraction to the people, soe it must wthout doubt much discourage, and dishearten those who haue, and doe serve his matie heere in the places of Governor and Counsell.
And heere yor Lorpp may please to giue mee leave to be something sensible of my owne suffering. The Office and benefitt of the Invoices wch was formerly belonging to the place of Secretary is now by expresse warrant a peculiar perquisite to his place (this following I receiue by information). His Intents are to gaine the profitts of the Pattents, and to haue the keeping of the Seales, what is the remaynder of my ffees will not cloth, and paye one Clarke yearely.
My Predecessors in this place had an allowance of twenty servants and cattell wth all what I at any tyme have inioyed what soe many servants in those tymes when Tobacco wins sold for foure shillings p pound might yeild may without over Rating be valeiwed at one thousand pounds p Annum, this allowance (as it belonged to former Secrtaryes) was granted mee, yet I inioy noe part of it, though the Labour of the place be doubled.
And if Mr Hawley thus gleane from mee, and wthall increase my toile (for his Execution and Accompt will be very short wthout my help, and furtherance from the Records, I conceiue yor Lorpp will Judge I doe not without cause exhibite this my greiuance.
Why I haue taken the boldnes to trouble yor Lorpp wth this Relation, without the Least Intimation heerein to any other, with favour I am thus induced. Because I receiue from vndoubted Information that the effect of Mr Hawlye his busines proceeded from yor Lorpps favour in his behalf.
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I am from my owne assurance as confident that yor Lorpps intents had noe aime eyther of publiq greiuance, or lessening those whose service you may please in any tryall to command. All wch therefore I humbly tender to yor Lorpps consideration. Resting.
Yor Lorpps Humbly to serve you
Rich: Kemp.
James Cittie this 25th of Aprill 1638.
Yor Brother the other day acquaynted mee wth yorLorpps commands to ppound to the next Assembly that for the better Regulating of the Trade in the Bay, the bounds of yor Lorpps Province might be sett downe in an Act wth wch those of Virginia should not Trade, wthout Lycense from thence and soe on the contrarye, wherein I will not fayle effectually to serve yor Lorpp
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