Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 205

hold their Tenements or whether he would choose in case of
their Refusal to take Leases on such or any other Terms that
Ejectments be brought against them & the Affair prosecuted
throughout, I have been lately informed that one Maypother
some time ago an Officer in the Austrian Service & now at
Philad^a hath been lately on the Mannour endeavouring to per-
suade the people that he has a Right to it, & to induce them
to take Leases from him, & it is said that upon his offering
them their own Terms & shewing them some Writings which
he said would establish his Claim many of them were inclined
to attorn to him in which Case there will probably be soon an
End to His Ldp's receiving any Rents from that Mannour
without a Law suit so that It would I think be well to
consider what Steps are to be taken here or at home if
Matters should take such a Turn, & as I sometime ago
transmitted you all the Intelligence I could procure with
respect to the Mannour in question you will be able to submit
a full & clear State to the perusal of any Gentleman whom
His Ldp might think fit to consult on the Affair. I have com-
municated to Col^o Lloyd His Ldp's pleasure signified by his
Letter of the 9^th of Feb^ry concerning Solomon Holtons Fine,
& the Lease applied for on behalf of the Son of the late Rev-
erend M^r Harrison of Queen Anns County & have desired
him to have such a Lease made out as His Ldp is pleased to
direct. You say in your Lett^r of the 16^th of Jan^y that by Intel-
ligence from the Province M^r Lloyd is accused of negligence
in suffering the County Clerks to record Deeds before Aliena-
tion Fine paid: the Clerks have had Orders to see that such
Fines are duly paid, but I have heretofore observed to you
that the Recording them is not essentially necessary to make
some Deeds valid, such for Instance as Deeds of Lease &
Release & then the Alienation Fine is not probably often
paid, nor is it in Col^o Lloyds power to get it as he cannot
directly know the Transaction, however it might not perhaps
be amiss to direct M^r Dulany who as Your Deputy has the
Appointment of the County Clerks to give them & also the
Clerk of the Provincial Court positive Instructions not to
record any Deed whatever until the Alienation Fine shall be
paid & once a year to return for the Agents Inspection a brief
List or Minute of the several Deeds by them recorded in the
Course of the year, the Reason this Order should go from the
Secretary & not the Agent is that they are not in any respect
dependant on the latter or obliged to regard his Requisitions.
We had heard long before Your Letter of the 6^th of March
came to hand the Account you therein give me of the Regard
which the Parliament had paid, to the Memorials & Remon-
strances which had been transmitted from the Colonies against

Letter Bk. IV