132 Assembly Proceedings, October 3-November 2, 1728.

U. H. J.

House in allowances to be made to any person employ'd particu-
larly about the proceedings or Service of our House A Method we
do not remember we ever came into nor can we believe it is con-
sistent with our happy constitution that one Branch of the Legis-
lature should come into any determinate Resolution to bind the
publick without the Concurrent Assent of the other.
We agree that reasonable Allowances have been made Agreable
to the Sence of the two Houses which is all we contend for in order
to preserve any Encroachment on each others rights which we on
our part think ourselves obliged Inviolably to preserve
Signed p Order Geo Plater Cl Up Ho.

A Message from the Lower House by James Harris Esq^r & M^r
Key viz.

By the Lower House of Assembly October the 23^d 1728

May it please your Honours
In Answer to your message of this day by Nicholas Lowe Esq^r
we are heartily glad to find you in a disposition to put an end to
the disputes about Officers fees as well as to save the Country the
expence of a long Session and we do assure your Honours that we
will do everything in our power consistent with our duty and the
publick welfare towards both
As to my Lord Proprietary it is but just and Reasonable to make
his Lordship an Equivalent but as the Act for setling his Lord-
ships Revenue will not Expire till next September and that the
Restriction of planting cannot Possibly affect his Lordship till then
we conceive that to be the most proper time to consider the Equiva-
lent for we shall be able then to form a better judgment of the
quantity that will be lessened by the reduction than we can be now
and consequently better able to proportion the Equivalent we always
intended that the attorneys fees and all Tobacco debts and pay-
ments to be made to the Inhabitants should be reduced in propor-
tion to Officers fees as your Honours are inclinable that reasonable
fees should be allowed where there have been any Omissions in the
regulation of 1725 We hope you will think it equally just & reason-
able to correct Errors that may appear in those that were then
regulated to the Prejudice of the people proceeding in this manner
is but fair and equal & will prevent any Imputation of the Legisla-
ture being less carefull of the Interest of the people than of what
concerns the Officers which Acting otherwise would give too much
Room for

p. 363

As to the power given to the D. Commissarys it is of publick
convenience and Advantage to the People and saves a good deal of
Expence to Widows and Orphans of whose Interest we are all
Obliged by the Laws of God and man to be particularly careful and