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38 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.
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Letter Bk. I.
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so discovered according to the Conditions proposed in the
Proclamation, but were disappointed by the Attorney General's
(Mr Delany) being obliged to drop many Bills which He
had filed in Chancery for the Recovery of such Surplusage ;
the Alienation of the Original Tract (wch was laid out by metes
& Bounds & not by Course & Distance) in numerous Parcells,
making it impossible to decree from which & in what manner
the Surplusage should be taken; besides the People at present
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in many Counties appear so earnest in removing all possibility
of Dispute about the Land they are in possession of that there
seems no great need of a Proclamation to incite Them to apply
for Warrants of Resurvey.
By the Constant Cultivation of Tobacco which in its nature
impoverishes Land in an extraordinary degree His Ldp's
Manours will receive great detriment if we cannot fall on some
method to prevent it by inserting in the Leases some penal
Clause whereby the Tenants may be restrained to planting
only a certain number of Acres the three last years of their
Term, unless they will renew their Lease so long before its
expiration but as I am forbid by my Instructions to set the
Manours for a longer Term than 21 years I could not propose
putting any thing of this Sort in execution till I shall be
favoured with His Ldp's farther Commands.
The Laws passed last Session are yet in the Press, but I
have sent Copies of the journals of both Houses & of two Bills
which the Lower House had prepared, but referred to the
Consideration of next Session, when I beleive they will be
pushed with some Earnestness, that for the Regulation of the
Clergy was occasioned by the scandalous Behaviour of some
of that Rank, over whom His Ldp may think proper to exert
his Authority, lest the Example of their Lives should lessen the
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p. 24
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influence of the whole Order; at this time one Parson Cook
after escaping with great difficulty the fate of a Murtherer
receives as punctually his 30 pr Poll in Prison as if he was duly
attending the Duty of his function, such Instances as this I shall
endeavour to prevent for the future by taking Bonds for good
Behaviour from the Clergy before Presentation — in that other
Bill " for preventing the farther growth of Popery" I am per-
suaded many things will appear to you somewhat extravagant;
but I should be glad to receive your Advice what notice I
might take of a more moderate Bill if offered respecting Per-
sons of that profession.
A Lettr from the Lords of Trade commanding us as well
as the neighbouring Colonies to send Commissioners to a
Treaty with the Indians at Albany this Summer had occasioned
my summoning the Assembly in May, to grant the Commisss
an Allowance for their Expences and a present for those Indian
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