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L H. J.
Liber No. 54
Nov. 22
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plicit Answer, having declared you are willing to adopt that Regula-
tion, it seems to be implied, that you were of Opinion the Terms
you thus offered were rather more eligible by the Lower House than
to adopt the late Regulation of ffees, to which you have clearly shewn
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p. 275
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yourselves to be exceedingly attached, and to which the Lower House
are so much averse and cannot agree; and yet the Terms of this
new proposed Expedient are such as we cannot imagine you had the
least Expectation would be acceded to.
We should really, and without any Intention of Offence, have
requested your Honours to have explained whether you design'd
to propose the Regulation of ffees as agreed to in 1745 with or
without any Deduction? Whether you designed an Alternative in the
Payment of those ffees agreeable to the present Bill? and whether you
designed the Payment should be in Tobacco only? had we not so
lately given you the Trouble of spending two Sides of Paper in mak-
ing it clear to our Understanding that your proposed Expedient
relative to the Clergy's Dues is, "that the present Clergy already
inducted may be paid according to the late Inspection Act, and imme-
diately on the Death or Removal of any of these Ministers the
People as well Planters as others shall have it in their Option to
pay for each Taxable 30 Pounds of Tobacco per Poll or four
Shillings," which could not be done but by twice insserting the Title
of the Bill and repeating most of what had come from you before,
concerning the Clergy. Permit us to remark that in the Year 1745
there was no Inspection Law. Tobacco Payments were made in the
Planters Tobacco Houses; Tobacco was then estimated in our
Laws at ten, and might have been and was commonly purchased at
about Eight Shillings Currency per Hundred. Exchange was at
about £220 for £100 Sterling and the Officers ffees were by the Bill
of 1745 to have been payable in Tobacco only. By the Inspection
Law passed in 1747 the Debtor who paid an old Tobacco Debt in
Inspected Tobacco was entitled to a Reduction of one fourth Part
of the Quantity due. About One fifth was deducted from the Secre-
tary and Commissary General's ffees as agreed in the Bill of 1745.
About one fourth was deducted from the ffees taken by the other
Officers in 1747; and the Farmers were indulged in the Payment
of Officers ffees at twelve Shillings and six Pence per Hundred.
Your Honours propose that the Regulation of ffees intended by the
Bill of 1745 should now be established, that is with Respect to the
Secretary and Commissary General's Offices, to say nothing of the
other Offices, which would be also considerably increased, you mod-
estly propose, if we will add about 25 Per Cent to the late Regu-
lation of ffees in those Offices you will readily agree with Us; We
cannot doubt it but what great Benefit is to be obtained by the
Country for this enormous Addition why the double Charge in the
Commissary General's Office shall be provided against in future but
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