504 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.

agreeable to both Law & Equity that such Fines be paid Let it
be considered what Steps are to be taken in order to compel
Heirs & Devisees to account for them to His Ldp's Agent.
Now that His Ldp & you may be fully apprized of every thing
relative to this Matter I must inform you that by what I can
learn there never were any Alienation Fines paid by Heirs or
Devisees to His Ldp's Ancestors or demanded by them from
the first Settlement of the Country to the Year 1716 at which

time an Act was made for granting the late Lord Baltimore a
certain Duty on every Hhd of Tob^o exported as an Equivalent
for & in lieu of all Quit Rents & Alienation Fines payable to
His Ldp by the Landholders in this Province & such Equiva-
lent did the late Lord Proprietary continue to receive till
the End of the year 1733, when he was pleased to give
Orders that the Quit Rents & Alienation Fines should be from
that time demanded & received from each & every Tenant in
the manner that hath been since pursued. The late M^r Dulany
having in the year 1742 or thereabouts told the Ld prry that
he thought His Ldp had by the Tenor of the Patents a Right
to an Alienation Fine for every Tract of Land which should
come to the possession of Heirs or Devisees, an Instruction
was thereupon given to the Agent to demand & collect such
Fines & to compel all Heirs & Devisees to make due payment
but upon the people's exclaiming against such Instruction as a
most grievous Oppression & refusing Payment, His Ldp
thought fit to countermand the abovementioned Instruction &
in order to quiet the Minds of the People he likewise directed
M^r Bladen to issue the following Proclamation. " Maryland ss.
By His Excellency Thomas Bladen Esq^r Governor & Com-
mander in Chief in & over the Province of Maryland A Proc-
lamation, Whereas some Uneasinesses have arisen concerning
the Right of His Ldp the Ld Prry to Alienation Fines on
Devises of Lands, & that His Ldp desirous to shew his Readi-
ness to give his Tenants Ease & Satisfaction in whatever may
be thought reasonable in any Degree tho to the Diminution of
his own strictly legal Rights hath been pleased to direct
Orders should be given to His Agent & the several Receivers
of his Quit Rents not to insist on or receive from any Person
whatsoever any Fine or Fines on or for any Lands which have
been or shall be alienated by Devise, to the End His Ldps
pleasure may be known & that all persons concerned may
have due Notice thereof I have thought fit by & with the
Advice of His Ldp's Council of State to issue this my proc-
lamation strictly charging & requiring the several Sheriffs of
this Province to make this my proclamation publick in their

respective Counties in the usual manner that all Persons con-
cerned may conform themselves thereto as they will answer