|
good & even tolerable Land in that Reserve is already leased,
for within the Limits of this Reserve there are a great many
Tracts of Patented Land. As the Mannours therefore men-
tioned in the Instruction & the said Reserved Lauds appeared
to the Gentlemen when we had the meeting to be circumstanced
very differently from what the Instruction seemed to suppose
It was the Opinion of all the Gentlemen to whom His Ldp's
Instruction is address't that no Step ought to be taken in con-
sequence thereof until more certain Information could be
procured & given us by the Agent with respect to the said
Mannour & Reserved Lands & particularly with regard to the
quality of the Land & Timber thereon, the Names of all the
Tenants & Conditions of their several Leases, if for three
Lives which of such Lives are in Being & if for a Term of
years the Dates of the several & respective Leases, the
Number of Acres held by each Tenant, with a Description of
the Improvements by them respectively made or that now are
on their respective Tenements, for the Gentlemen said truly
that without such Information we should be giving our
opinions & acting altogether in the Dark & could form no
Judgment at what prices the Lands might & ought to be sold,
nor whether the selling particular parcells might not render
the Residue of little or no value, besides as the Instruction
seems to limit the Judges of the Land Office (who & not the
Agent are thereby impowered to sell) to the Sale of the
Vacant Land only, We are at a loss to know whether His
Ldp would sell to the present Lessees or any other Purchasers
the Fee simple also of such parcels as are now tenanted. As
soon as Colo Lloyd shall be able to furnish us with the Infor-
mation wanted the Gentlemen have promised to meet again
& take the matter once more under Consideration, but I
question whether the Colonel to whose Tediousness & pro-
crastination you are no Stranger will be ready for us or
procure the requisite Information before I may be favoured
with an answer to this Letter. As His Ldp in his Instruction
about the Sale of the Mannours seems to have prescribed a
particular Form of a Condition to be inserted in the Patents
for securing the Alienation Fine viz " provided that if the said
Alienation Fine shall not be paid &c (to the End of the first
Section) it is my Duty to inform His Ldp that Mr Dulany at
the meeting declared to us that such Conditional Clause as it
is there worded will not answer the End intended so as to
revest the Land in his Ldp for a Breach of the Condition by
non payment of the Alienation Fine, but he gave it as his
opinion that there might be a Form of Words to answer the
purpose, & I therefore submit it to His Ldps Consideration
whether in case of the Mannours being sold the Form of
|
Letter Bk. IV
|
