Appendix to Council Proceedings, 1696—1729. 607

    of a refusal to Support the Government, as usuall, How far C. P.

    and wherein, the long Custom of 1s at the least for that

    Support, may Countenance a Constant Demand of the like

    for the future; Whether any, and what use may be made in

    your favour, of that Act of 1704. Settling 1s on the Queen

    Her Heirs and Successors for the Support of Her Government

    for the time being in this Province, whether by the Devolution

    of the Govern ment to you, with other Rights and Adjuncts of

    Government, that 1s may in any Legal Sense be deemed to

    have Devolved to you, or be invested in you to and for the P 15

    same Purposes; These Enquires, may amount to a good pre

    caution against all Events

      The next matter wherein the Interest of Proprietary and

    people, may seem to meet, or have any reference to Each

    other, is the Settlement and rights of the Severall Offices in

    Government; Long hath been the Contest about Officers Fees,

    which doth now so far affect your interest in your Officers that

    since yr Dissent to the Regulation made in 1725 the Officers

    are without an Execution for their fees, which makes them

    very ill paid to the no small loss of the Officers but really to a

    Disrepution and disreguard of their Offices, Since Every In

    solent fellow thinks himself free to refuse paymt and Brow

    beat, as it were the Officers; And is besides a Continuall Bone

    of Contention, and a Specious Handle to amuse the Ignorant.

    It is too true that by the same reason an Abatement was made

    in 1725, they may Every three Years Exact a farther Abate

    ment, untill the Officers should by such repeated Abatemts be p. 16

    reduced to the mean wages of the Commonest writing Clerks;

    For my part I should Imagine fees to be Due by Originall

    Right without an Establishmt by Law; And it is remarkable

    that the severall Laws made here relating to fees, have been

    stiled, Acts for the Limitation of Officers fees, and not for the

    giving or Granting them; How far reasonable or unreasonable

    the Regulation of 1719, the last you Agreed to, may be, I

    shall not enter into, being to be thought a party Concerned,

    but as Even that Regulation, is a Clipment from the Law of

     1704, and that from one before that &c, I would deduce this

    reasoning, that if the fees twenty or Thirty years agoe were

    not thought unreasonable, the Law of 1719, which reduces

    them to much less cannot I think be Deemed so since the

    Country is doubtless much more able to Support Offices now,

    than in those Days. I shall now Beg the Liberty to recom

    mend Some Queries to be Advised on.

      1. Whether you have by the rights of your Charter Power

    to Establish fees, where there is no Law to Ascertain or Limit p. 17

    them.