368 Assembly Proceedings, November 5-21, 1770.

U. H. J.
Liber No. 36
Nov. 20

Manners of the people, who may thereby be induced to think, that
they may disobey what they find in the Observance to be injurious
to their Interest.

The Exorbitancy of the Profits of the Officers must appear, from
the Published Lists to be very great indeed, to those who are unac-
quainted with the Deductions therefrom, They may be assisted with,
or form very alarming Estimates from them, but we have Precisely
Proposed, that in Lieu of all other Profits Advantages and Emolu-
ments, there may be allowed to the Secretary, Commissary General,
and Judges of the Land Office, an Annual Income of £600 Sterling,
but this you have rejected If this Income would fall short of the
profits which arose from the old Regulation, why not as good
Stewards, secure on so fair an Opportunity the overplus for the
Publick Use. This we must do you the Justice to say you would

p. 518

not decline if a saving was expected; but you think the £6oo. per
Annum too much; we think otherwise, and you are Apprehensive
there would not be the same Diligence in advancing the Interest of
the Publick, as there is now employed for the Benefit of the Officers.
Extortion or Oppression you would not desire, and if Officers
commit the Crime because they gain by it, the Plan is strongly
recommended by the very Circumstance that it would take away all
Temptation to extort or oppress, but surely there can be very little
Ground to imagine that Business on Application would be refused
to be done by persons accountable to the Assembly, as well as to
the parties applying, that Fees would not be charged for Services
when Negligence would be liable to so Easy Detection, and to so
severe Animadversion, or that Sheriffs would be less regular in their
Collections and returns, when their Accounts would be Subject to
their Review of so many Gentlemen, best acquainted with the people
in every County of the Province. No Alternative as you have sug-
gested given by the Act of 1747 to the Planters was intended to be
taken from them, but a new one was offered which that Act did not
give, and the Planter would moreover have had an Opportunity of
discharging Fees at the rate of 12/6 Per hundred Pounds of Tobacco
by an immediate Payment, which he might easily make; the Principal
Services he would have occasion for might be rated as soon as per-
formed, and the incidental Charges arising on Court Proceedings
would not be payable till done, and when done would be as easily
rated as any other, and as easily in this Province, as in any Place
where a Similar Rule obtains. Tho the Points between us at present
do not defend on the Proposals made in the last, but on those made
in this Session, and therefore it is not now very material to consider
what would have been the Effects of the old Proposals, if adopted,
since they have been superseded by new ones, yet the Attention due to
your last Message would not allow us altogether to pass over without
Notice the former Proceedings.