The Lower House. 209

By the House of Delegates
June the first 1715

May it please your Excellency,
We heartily condole the Loss of our late Lord Propry not
only as a generous Landlord, but a general Friend to this
Province.

We likewise congratulate his present Lordship on the
Descent of his Propship upon him to whom we wish a long
and happy Enjoyment of it and assure your Excellency it is
no small Satisfaction to us to find that on his late Lordship's
Decease he is succeeded by a Protestant Son of that great
Character your Excy has always given him; nor can we be
unmindful of your Excellency's Care and Favour towards us
in so speedily communicating to us the Opportunity your
Excellency has of making us easy in the Affair of our Land
Rents which is of so great Concern to his Lordship and this
Province; for which we return your Excellency our most
hearty Thanks. And since your Excellency has been pleased
to intimate his Lordship does not design to stand to the
Agreement formerly made with his Ancestors in that Respect
as the Case of Tob^o Hhds now stands: We humbly propose
to lay an Impost of 18d Stgp Hhd. being of the Gauge of
32 Inches in the Head within the Crose, not exceeding 37
Inches in the Bulge and 48 Inches in the Length of the Stave

L. H. J.

for his Majesty towards defraying the publick Charge of this
Province which we resolve to apply to his Lordship's use if
his Lordship will be pleased to accept thereof as an Equivalent
for taking his Land-Rents and Fines for Alienations within
this Province (as his Noble Father did) in Tobacco at two
Pence Sterling p Pound during his natural Life, and humbly
pray your Excellency will be pleased to assist us in recom-
mending the same to his Lordship. We persuade ourselves
that his Lordship thinks it is his Interest to consult the Wel-
fare of this Province as his noble Ancestors did; and towards
the Support of the Government we are also willing to make
an Advance of three Pence Sterling p Hhd of Tobacco
exported of the aforesaid Gauge in Consideration of it's being
so enlarged as a just and reasonable Compensation therefor
& without which the Revenue would be very much diminished
& impaired and as in the former Laws to prepare a Petitionary
Bill for both the same Imposts under the same Proviso as soon
as your Excellency will be pleased to notify your Approbation.
Signed p Order Thos Macnemara Cl. Ho. Del.

The same is sent up to his Excy the Governor by Mr Tyler,
Col^o Mackall, Major Wilson, Major Philips, Col^o Maxfield, Mr

14

p. 580