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404 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.
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Letter Bk. IV
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has been usually paid to the said Stewards for their Care &
good Account & that four pr Cent thereof be paid to the
Receivers General for their Trouble; & that the Remaining
One pr Cent to the use of the Clerk of the Land Office afd.
His Ldp desires Your Consideration on the above Plan for
method & Rectitude of his private property which for want of
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p. 78
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regular Establishment is precarious besides the want of a
proper Office as Repositary for all His Instructions Deeds &
Papers subjects his Revenues to great Distress & Loss. By
the above Scheme he proposes Knowledge & Security by
Advice & the means of his Guidance & right Issue & the
giving him Contentment, in Justice his due strictly from his
several Officers of Revenue who are by him well paid for their
so Doing. He trusts in Your Friendship & Service & that
You'll favour him with your opinion & Report of & concern-
ing. The Profits on the Land Office the 10 pr Cent often
amounts to four & five hundred pounds pr Ann. Half is pro-
posed to the Governor & may be annexed Fees on all War-
rants Grants' &ca & in whose Hands the Office Seals should
rest. On the Stability of this Office the Ld Proprietor's Hap-
piness depends & the only Security for due Circulation of
Wealth to the Owner is Check upon Check 'tis the Band of
Honesty. The Land Office is a great Trust .& of the utmost
Consequence to all concerned; therefore requires real Fidelity
& the best Abilities for due Execution. Much Waste has been
& now is of Quit Rent not in Possession of the Proprietor, but
of these Things you & Mr Attorney Bordley can right; the
present Condition & Management of the Office is a Reproach
of Misdemeanour in publick Employment. The Intention of
the Plan is two Receivers Genl My Ld desires Your Recom-
mendation of them with sufficient Security & hopes for them
of the Upper House & thinks it proper that the Rent Roll
Keepers place should belong to the Office of the Receivers
General.
That Your Ldp may the more readily comprehend what in
Obedience to Your Commands I shall take the Liberty to offer
on this Subject in answer to the above Extract from Mr Cal-
vert's Letter I must beg Leave to trouble Your Ldp with a
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p. 79
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particular Account of the process or Steps that are taken by
those who are desirous of obtaining Patents for Land within
your Ldp's Province. If the Person wants to take up (or
obtain Patent for) a quantity of vacant uncultivated Land
(suppose 100 Acres) he makes known his Intention to the
Agent who upon such Person's paying down the usual Cau-
tion (or original purchase) money viz. £5 Stg. (for the quantity
of 100 Acres) gives him an Order to the Judges of the Land
Office for a Common Warrant (as it is called in Contradistinc-
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