The Lower House. 447

remains, as I am informed upwards of three hundred Patents
which are not yet Sealed, Tho the persons to whom those
patents belong have some years Past paid their consideration
money (the Scales excepted) by which the proprietors of those
patents are as yet defeated of their essential right to the lands
they have purchased.
This was the Malicious management of M^r Carroll, who is
the cause of so great Injustice to the Publick, purely to deprive
me of the fees of the Scales, in Expectation, that for my
contending with the Papists for their Pretended Right of
haveing an Equall Share with the Protestants to Offices in
this Government (and which Surely is not so soon forgot)
They had hopes of removeing me from my Station, & so their
favourite they expected in my room, might reap the benefite
of my Just Dues. I am Sorry to find that M^r Carroll and his
friends are like to reap the fruit of their Resentments in my
disappointment for from my short Stay in the Countrey, and
the distant habitations of those that have purchased those
patents, I shall lose at once the benefit of the Scales which
regularly and Gradually ought to have gone Annually out of

L. H. J.

the offices. But as I never haveing been craveing of the As-
sembly On my Account, I shall only referr it to the considera-
tion of the house whether the keeping of Patents for many
years in the office after persons have paid their consideration
money to the Lord Propiretor be not a great Grievance.
Jo: Hart.

In Answer to which the following Message was prepared
and ordered to be Entered as follows Viz:

By the Lower House of Assembly June the 5^th 1719.
May it please your Excellency
M^r Speaker haveing Communicated to this house your Ex-
cellencys letter on Wednesday last we proceeded Immediately
to inquire into the Subject matter recommended to us thereby
and find that the Patents your Excellency Mention therein
have been lately transmitted to the Secretary's Office by which
we hope their remains no more Doubt but your Excellency will
readily come by your Just dues whatever M^r Carroll's endeav-
ours have been to prevent.
As by your Excellencys opposing the pretended rights of
Papists you have raised them to revenge so we take leave to

p. 141

Affirm by your maintaining our real Ones you have engaged
our Gratitude which we shall be always ready to demonstrate
our sense of and have not yet forgot your Excellencys good

p. 142