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Sent to the Upper House by Mr. Dashiell and Mr. Purnell. They
return, and acquaint M.r Speaker they delivered the Bill
M.r Johnson brings in, and delivers to M.r Speaker the following
Message.
By the Lower House of Assembly, November 15.th 1770
May it please your Honours,
We are apprehensive, from your Message of the 13.th Instant, that
there is some Misunderstanding between Us about the Subject
Matter of a Conference: We have no Desire to reduce the ffees of
Officers so low, as not to leave a sufficient and proper Support; and
if it shall appear, that the Regulation proposed by us would be in-
sufficient for that Purpose, we shall be willing to make such Addi-
tions as we hope will be thought sufficient and proper in the Opinion
of the World. Nothing now remains to be settled but the ffees of
Officers and the Provisions thereon dependent; the Mode of recover-
ing Penalties, the Time of closing the Inspection, and the last Propo-
sition contained in your Message of the tenth Instant by John Ridout,
Esq; On these Points of our Bill we were and still are willing, and
now propose to go into a Conference, as the most likely Expedient
to bring about an Agreement. Your Honours, by a Bill sent from
your House the thirty first of October, which lay before us at the
Time of the last Prorogation, on the second Instant, to revive the late
Inspection Law, and the Supplementary Act thereto, "except all such
Part and Parts, as limited, or in any Manner concerned the ffees of
Officers and Lawyers, and the Poll Tax due to the Clergy," pro-
posed to separate the Regulation of the Staple from that of the ffees
of Officers, and continue that Part of the late Inspection Law which
provided for the Payment of the Levies. In your Message of the
Tenth Instant you agreed, "That all Persons, whether they should
make Tobacco or not, might elect to pay all ffees in Tobacco, or
Money, in the Manner provided by the Bill"; and proposed, "that
the Poll Tax might be paid in the same Manner, with the Difference
only, that in Case of Payment in Money, the Clergy might receive
on 32 instead of 30 per Poll"; which this House acceded to, and
informed your Honours of, by our Message of the Twelfth Instant:
Therefore, should your Honours again wa[i]ve a Conference on the
Terms we now propose, we make you another Proposition: Strike
out all those Parts of the Bill that relate to the Officers ffees, which
will be agreeable to the Plan of the Bill you set us; and as Nothing
of Importance will then remain in Dispute, except the Time of clos-
ing the Inspection, which the People much wish to have extended
to the 20:th of August, we have the greatest Expectation, that this,
and the other Matters of less Consideration, may be easily adjusted
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L H. J.
Liber No. 54
Nov. 15
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