176 Assembly Proceedings, April — May 1669.

U. H.
Journal
1659-98

all publick Business there being so little ready money in the
Province, We shall be ready to join in making a Declaration
by a Law what shall be called publick Debt and what not and
all other things that shall be found necessary for preservation
of the publick Faith Indemnity of Officers in that Case &
securing the Merchants & the Inhabitants of this Province
from undue Seizures

6^th That Officers are Erected &c.

We answer that no new Officers are Erected that We know
of but if there were Yet it is but what his Lordship hath power
to do by his Pattent and whatsoever he lawfully doth by power
of his Pattent must not be Styled a Grievance unless You
mean to quarrel with the King who granted it Which do take
Fees exceeding & Contrary to the Acts of Assembly, And
upon these Words were Instanced the Fees of the Seal &c to
the Chancellour only, To this We answer that there neither
is nor ever was any Act of Assembly for Fees to the Chancel-
lour True it is there was in Cap^t Stones time an Act made
for Secretarys fees Which allowed fifty pounds Tob^o for every
Instrum^t under the Seal and fifty for recording it but nothing to
the Chancellour then being viz. Cap^t Stone and that but till a
further Settlement so that it remains clearly as of right it ought
in the Lord Proprietary by Proclamation or otherwise to settle
the fees of his Chancellour & other Officers as he hath already
done in the case of the Chancellours Fees

That Vexatious Informers &c

To this We answer that there neither is nor ever was any
Informers authorized in this Province as in England is used that
if any Person does his Duty in revealing mutinous & seditious
Speeches spoken by any Person (as in the Case of Harris now

p. 147

instanced) to the Governour he is no Vexatious Informer,
Those Persons being only properly to be called Vexatious In-
formers who make it a trade to Enquire into penal Laws where
the Informer hath part of the Penalty for informing
For that upon the whole matter We cannot but exhort You
to desire the Lower House that sent You to proceed to the
publick Affairs of the Province & to tell them from the hon-
ourable the Lieutenant & Chief Governour that if they do yet
persist to call his Lordships just Rights of consenting or not
Consenting to Laws in what manner he hath it by his Pattent
his power of erecting Courts and Officers & manner of pro-
ceeding in Courts at his pleasure according to his Pattent, and
his appointing them the said Officers just & reasonable Fees
the publick Grievances, & unless he will redress these Griev-