454 Minutes of the Board of Revenue, 1768-1775.

Lib. No. 86

In consequence of Instructions and Oath sent me, as Sur-
veyor General, for the future guidance & direction of the
Deputy Surveyors of the Eastern Shore, by the Board of
Revenue, they were forwarded to each County, with my desire
of their qualifying under them, and giving Bond for the
due Execution of the Trust.

p. 92

In consequence of which some have complied, others have
absolutely refused, nor can I upon enquiry find Persons to
execute the Commissions under the present Oath and Instruc-
tions. The Reasons they assign are contained in the following
Paragraph of a Letter sent me by M^r Greenberry Golds-
borough to which I refer you, and intreat your Opinion, with
that of our Friends, upon the Occasion and what you think
it wou'd be proper for me to do; as I am informed upon a late
application to sundry Persons in Dorchester County, that
there is not a Person to be found that will undertake the
Office of Surveyor of that County under the present Regula-
tions. Goldsborough writes thus: Upon receipt of your In-
structions for me, I seriously perused them with the Oath
which to me appeared almost impossible for a man to take
and comply with the Instructions; tho' being doubtful of my
own Abilities in that Crisis, I sought Counsel and was advised
that I could not safely swallow the Oath and act justly, seeing
that we are to pay due regard to, and true and faithfully ob-
serve the very express words of the Instructions, the nature
and tendancy of which, is diametrically contrary to Reason
in several Articles, and which no man in his Senses wou'd
presume to take. Let the Board of Revenue compose what In-
structions they please, I candidly think they have no right so
to do, until by an Act of Assembly it is made virtually mani-
fest, which I hope will never be while Law is founded on
Reason. Therefore if there is really a necessity for taking the
same Oath and complying with the Instructions, I beg you
will excuse me from acting any longer as Deputy Surveyor
of Talbot County, and consequently do refuse acting without
there is an alteration made in the Oath and Instructions, and
he observes further on, in his Letter, That it is the opinion of
those Persons, Judges, who have seen the Oath and Instruc-
tions, that every man, be he gentle or simple, who takes the

p. 93

Oath and complies therewith (without an amendment) dc-

serves to enjoy no mutual Intercourses with mankind, ought
to have his Throat cut and not suffered to exist any longer.
He likewise informs me that Haskins and White, have both
absolutely refused to Act for Dorchester County.
As I am at present apprehensive of many warrants going
out of Date which may be the occasion of future complaint,