94 Assembly Proceedings, Sept. 20-Oct. 18, 1694.

Original
Journal.

Office has fformerly been held & how it now stands, to w^ch the
Gentlemen of the Councill make Answer that all warrants for
land & pattents did in the Lord Baltemores time issue out of
the fores^d Office & all Certificates for the Same were Con-
stantly thither Returned & there Entered upon Record of w^ch
his Lordsps Secretarys had alwayes the Custody & ffees
settled for issueing & Entering all such Writeings as likewise
that there was a ffee Settled by an Act of Assembly of this
Province upon his L^dsps Chancelor for the sealeing all pattents
for Land, That in the late Govern^r Copleys time a Law passed
giveing the same ffees as is aforemenconed, Unto their Ma^ts
Secretary & Chancellor w^ch stands still Unrepealed & they do
further say that his Lsp has now Erected an Office for grant-
ing Lands as formerly whose Officers take all such fees of the
people now as were p^rscribed by the said Act; but for the well

p. 77

Settleing & fully Ascertaining & Regulateing the aforemen-
tioned Office & for the Satisfaction of the Inhabitants of this
Province they doe humbly Represent that it will be Abso-
lutely necessary that this being the true State of the whole
matter, the same may be humbly Laid before his Sacred Ma^ty
to the End his Royall pleasure may be knowne by whome the
said ffees shall be taken & where is thought the properest
place to preserve & keep the said Records in.

The petition of Somerset County Comiesion^rs Returned back

from the House of Burgesses signifyeing their Opinion that
the Same did not properly lye before them, was thereupon
taken into consideracon by this Board.
And the Burgesses belonging to the said County sent for to
see w' they had to say thereto whoe accordingly Appeared &
the said Matter fully Debated & Argued & then the said Bur-
gesses with drew.
Resolved & Ordered that the Court house lately begun to
be built in Somersett County by Order of the Comission^rs of
the said County be out of hand finished & that the Courts be
there held & kept;
And that an Order of this Board of the 30^th of July last
past relateing thereto be Null & Void
Produced the following papers sent from the house of Bur-
gesses to this Board Viz^t.