|
|
L. H. J.
Liber No. 54
Nov. 17
|
charged; and observing that generally, where combined Interest and
Ingenuity could invent a colourable Pretext, for a new Charge, it
had been adopted by ffellow Officers, we thought it highly necessary,
in the now altered Circumstances of the Province, not only to recur
to the Principle of 12/6 per Cent, on which the Inspection Law was
first enacted in 1747, but also to make a clear and precise Table of
frees for Officers, that none might hope, from a Doubtfulness of
Expression, to evade the plain Intention of the Law. The dependent
Provisions we also amended by Additions to the Oath as well as
Penalties against charging ffees not allowed, in some few of the very
unreasonable Allowances we moderated the Quantum, and, for the
Convenience of the Tobacco Makers, we extended the Time for
closing the Inspection to the 20:th of August — On this Bill your
Honours the last Session endorsed your Negative, which came to
Us with your Message, proposing principally, "That the Duties
and ffees of the Officers and Lawyers and the Dues of the Clergy,
do stand as they were limited and regulated by the said Act, with this
Difference, that all, who shall chuse to pay for Services immediately
on Performance may be at Liberty to discharge the ffees in Money,
after the same Rate that Persons who lodged Certificates under the
said Act were admitted to discharge them."
"That the ffarmers and others not making Tobacco, and who shall
lodge Certificates, as directed by the said Act, be allowed to pay off
the ffees of the Officers and Lawyers, and the Dues of the Clergy,
in the Manner by the said Act provided. That Persons making
Tobacco, be admitted to discharge the ffees of Officers and Lawyers,
and Dues of the Clergy, after the Rate of twelve Shillings lawful
Current Money of America for One hundred Pounds of Tobacco,
so that such Payment in Money be made on or before the tenth
Day of April Yearly": By which your Honours were for departing
from the Principle of the Regulation of 1747, in rejecting the
Alternative to the People. The Officers would, in many Instances,
have been Gainers from those who might have small Accounts to
pay, and who would rather have paid at 12/. legal Money, than have
been at the Trouble of going a considerable Distance to make Oath
and obtain a Certificate of their not making Tobacco, to entitle them
to pay at 12/6 Common Money; and the seeming Benefit to the
Tobacco Maker, from an immediate Payment in Money, would have
been no Advantage to him in common Occurrences, because in Court
Proceedings generally he could not know what to tender, or the
Officer what to receive, at the Time the Business was done; and it
must seem probable to your Honours that as it would be incumbent
on the Planter to tender enough, it would be the Officers Intention
to receive enough. As this House did not conceive any of these
Propositions were made merely to reflect merit on yourselves, in
giving them up on a Conference, they were scarce sooner read than
|
|
