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Letter Bk. IV
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Performance & will farm them on the lowest Terms, but at
the same time I much question whether any Person will offer
to farm them on lower Terms than the Sheriffs & Farmers do
at present, for I can assure your Ldp that the obliging the
Sheriffs to farm the Rents even at Ten pr Cent is considered
by them as a Burthen on the Sheriffs Office; in every County
they would gladly be excused from it, & so much were they
deterred by that Condition in Frederick County that the
Sheriff resigned his Office last year on that account, & not a
Man there of any property could be got to accept the Sheriffs
Office on those Terms, so that in order to get a Farmer for the
Quit Rents I was actually obliged to give the Sheriffs Office to
a Person who lived in the neighbouring County, & it is I find
much doubted whether he tho he is very diligent & methodi-
cal & has acted as Sheriff & Farmer in Prince Georges County
will not suffer Loss by what he has now undertaken. As the
Annual Rents in most of the Counties do not amount to
near £500 stg the Farmers Reward for his Trouble was he to
receive every shilling that becomes due from the Tenants would
fall short of £50 at the Commission now allowed & in some
of the Counties it hardly amounts to half that sum which is
less than a common Clerk in this Country would ask for
doing Business: now I have been assured by Persons who
have been Sheriffs & whom I cannot disbelieve that notwith-
standing all their Diligence & Care they have not been able
to collect many Pounds which were due for Quit Rents &
which they accounted for to the Agent, many of the Lands
having nothing to distrain on & the Owners living out of the
County at such a Distance that to go for the Rent would be
attended with greater Expence than such Rent if received
would amount to, & before the Farmers can get the Rents
from many of those who live on their Lands they must often
go or send to them several Times, for if they distrain they are
often puzled to sell what they take & that is one Reason why
they sometimes suffer the Tenants to fall in Arrear: & if they
are in Arrear more than a year the Farmers cannot it seems
distrain at all. If your Ldp is desirous that a Tryal should be
now made to reduce the Farmers Commission, the Way in my
opinion the most likely to succeed would be to let any one
that was willing to devote himself altogether to such Business
farm two three or even four Counties so that his Commissions
may still amount to something considerable & let the Agent
be instructed to endeavour to find out such Men in different
parts of the Province as I also if the Scheme be approved of
will do, & as an Encouragement to Persons to undertake &
to quit other Business on that Account the Contract might be
made with them for a longer Term than three years, & tho
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