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176 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.
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Letter Bk. I.
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Spencer as the Assembly was then sitting I immediately obeyed
His Ldp's Instructions by acquainting them that His Ldp had
been pleased to Dissent to the Act for impowering the several
Courts within this province to order Commissions for the
Examination of Witnesses residing beyond Sea, & that con-
cerning Turkey point prayed for by Cotterel I also intimated
to them by the same Message that the Inspection Law wd meet
with the same fate unless they wd proceed to repeal the Clauses
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p. 107
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wch respect the Limitation of Officers fees & the Regulation
of Coin. A Bill I learn is preparing in the Lower House
to re-enact (as his Ldps pleasure is) that part of the first
above mentioned Laws wch regards the Foreclosure of Mort-
gages; but I despair of seeing them prevailed on to repeal
any part of the Inspection Law on any account whatever, in
that Case the Gent" of the Upper House propose to Address
His Ldp to let the law continue in force in its present form &
to set forth the several Reasons that induced them to concur
with the Lower House in passing it, for my own part as I have
already offered such Reasons as occurred to me in favour of
the Law I will not presume to enlarge again thereon but will
only hope that His Ldp will excuse my consenting thereto
after His Ldp's Council & all that I consulted or conversed
with were unanimous in favour of the Clauses against wch the
principal Objections lye so infatuated was the Majority of the
House of Burgesses as to think the Law as far as it respects
Tobo evil in itself, & therefore were disposed to crush it, but
to prevent the general Confusion & uneasiness that wd attend
the sinking; of a Law which regulated Officers fees they agreed
to pass it with some few Alterations from the former Law &
the Addition of the Clause relating to the Valuation of Coin.
That these Articles would be receded from, the Upper House
found there was no room to hope & therefore consented to the
Law as it is, for the Reasons that I have before hinted & which
I apprehend they will offer more at large in the Address that
they intend to present to His Ldp thereon. There certainly
ought (as you observe) to have been farther acknowledgments
made to His Ldp but there being none in the Inspection Law
that expired at that time twas vain then to insist on the Inser-
tion of such Clauses or periods in this Act. The Example
also of the former will I hope plead my excuse for permitting
any paragraph concerning Officers fees to be made a part of
the present Act; beside in Alleviation of that seeming impro-
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p. 108
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priety you will please to consider that the Regulation of
Officers fees must in some Sort be determined by the Inspection
Law because on that Law depends the Worth & Value of
Tobo in which Fees have been always payable. I before con-
sulted the Lawyers here & asked their Opinion whether & how
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