|
ants that a Chancellor was not at liberty to give a Decree
against His Ldp, & so a new Spectre might have been raised
to disturb the Minds of His Ldp's Tenants & I do suppose
that if the other Gentlemen of the Council had not appre-
hended that some such Inconveniency would follow a Waver
of their proposed Amendment they would not have insisted on
it & thereby have afforded Mr Dulany the Occasion he there-
upon took to disapprove their Conduct. As there is not at
present any Act in force for the Regulation of Ordinaries or
requiring the Keepers of them to take out Lycences, Any
Person'that pleases sells Liquors nor can they be restrained
or regulated without an Act so that now is the Time for His
Ldp to advise consider & determine on what Terms an Act
shall pass, I have for my part long ago sent you an Account
from the Council Books &c of what has been done here from
Time to Time ever since the Settlement of the Province relative
thereto so that if His Ldp pleases to advise thereon you may
furnish His Council or those he may consult with a proper &
full State of the Case. You tell me that the Copies I transmit
from Time to Time of the minutes of the Commissioners &
Surveyors Proceedings can only be of private use by reason of
their not having the Great Seal affixed, nor did I intend them
for any other purpose than just to inform you how Business
is carried on & the Map was only by way of Illustration, but
when the Work is finish't I shall then transmit you a Copy of
the whole Proceedings properly attested & authenticated. I
perceive by the Pennsylv3 Gazette that the Legislatures of
some of the Northern Colonies intend to make Remonstrances
against the Acts of Parliament lately passed to affect the
Trade of these Colonies, but as you seem very desirous that
no Representations should be sent hence 1 shall endeavour to
prevent them. As the Act of Parliament lately passed forbid-
ding the usual Allowance of a Drawback on sundry Goods
exported from Great Britain to these Colonies & laying an
Imposition on Wines & some other Articles imported here
does not subject the Inhabitants in general to the immediate
payment of any Money by way of Tax it is not likely that any
will refuse to pay the Duties thereby imposed, but if an Act
should pass next Session for Laying a Land or other general
Tax on the Inhabitants I do not know but some Disputes &
Disturbances may be thereby occasioned in this Province, for
I find that the latter part of His Ldp's Charter has of late been
a Subject of Conversation among some people who say that
surely the Judges will never in case of a Dispute with the
Collectors of such Taxes give Judgment against the express
words of the Charter in which the King has declared that
neither he nor his Successors would ever lay any Impositions
|
Letter Bk. IV
|
