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Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 295
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Convicts they import from £8 to £20 Sg each, which People
here think a pretty good Premium for their Passage, & hope
Mr Steuart would have no cause to complain of a hard Bargain
tho he was to receive none of the Bounty that is allowed by
Act of Parliament for transporting Felons from England to
these Plantations. In Pensa & some of the Islands they
imposed £5 p poll on them, & obliged the Purchasers to give
Security for their good Behaviour; I shall be glad to hear
therefore that Mr Steuart is content to pay £1 for four or five
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Letter Bk. I.
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years, when the Act will expire, on Condition there be no
additional Duty imposed on them. In fact the Twenty Shil-
lings of which Mr Steuart complains is paid by the purchaser
to whom the Contractor's Factors sell the Convicts accord-
ingly; but if 'twould be more agreeable I imagine the Lower
House might be prevailed on to take the Duty off the Importer
& lay it on the purchaser. It is the Opinion of our Lawyers
as it was the Intention of the Assembly that the Naval Officers
are obliged by their Oath & the words of the Act to demand
the Duty of Twenty Shillings on every Convict that is imported
& sold as a Servant for Seven Years, & if you please to recur
to the Account of Importations you will see that from that
Duty will arise a great part of the money that is to sink the
£6000. that was granted by that Act; so that if that part of the
Act was to be rejected, the Ordinary Lycences will stand
Mortgaged for 3 or 4 years longer than they are (if the Act
stands as it is) at present engaged for. I have left Nothing
undone to get the Mannours platted as you desire returned me,
but have not been yet able to get them all, however I hope
to have them soon when they shall be properly entered in one
Book & transmitted by the first Opportunity. Your Scheme
for collecting the Rents by the Sheriffs we are now putting in
execution, I have engaged all the Sheriffs on this Side the
Bay to farm at 10 pr Ct & they are now executing proper
Indentures for that purpose & Colo Lloyd is doing the same on
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p. 165
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the Eastern Shore but as there are some Tracts of uncultivated
Land in two or three Counties whose Owners are not in the
Country, I hope His Ldp or You will not insist on the Sheriffs
paying the Rents of them as they are not actually to be
obtained. You shall receive a List of all such Lands by a
speedy Conveyance & an Account how they are circumstanced,
the Rents of them will not amount to any considerable Sum,
but whatever it be, the Lands will be charged therewith in the
Agents Books, that His Ldp might recover the Arrears when
the Lands shall become occupied or are sold. The Disputes
concerning the Divisional Lines between His Ldp's Province &
the Delaware Counties as well as the Incorrectness of the Rent
Roll has been the Occasion that long Arrears are due on some
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p. 166
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