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L. H. J.
Liber No. 54
Nov. 30
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"May it please your Excellency,
In Answer to your Message of the 4.th Instant, we cannot but
express our Concern, that any Parts of the Act, entitled, An Act
for amending the Staple of Tobacco, for preventing ffrauds in his
Majesty's Customs, and for the Limitation of Officers frees, should
be liable to the least Objection from our Lord Proprietary.
We should be sorry to find that a Regulation of Officers ffees, agreed
upon after the most mature Deliberation, by the several Branches
of the Legislature, and subsisting five Years, and then again, with
but small Alteration, revived and continued, should be so disagreeable
to his Lordship, as to induce him to dissent to an Act, the greatest
Proofs whereof he acknowledges to be of great Utility. We conceive
the Parts objected to by his Lordship are of great Advantage to this
Province, and highly conducive to the Ease and Quiet of his Lord-
ship's Tenants; and forasmuch as his Lordship, from a Sense of
the great Usefulness of that Part of the Act which relates to the
Staple of Tobacco, and an affectionate Regard to his Tenants, has
been induced not to signify his immediate Dissent thereto, so we,
from the same Motives, as to the whole, cannot consent to a Repeal
of those Parts, or either of them &.ta"
The Lower House having thus declined to pass an Act agreeable to
his Lordship's Request, the Governor was prevailed upon by the
Council, not to dissent to the Inspection Act, and upon the Repre-
sentation and Solicitation of the Council, the Lord Proprietary with-
drew his Instruction.
It must be admitted that without some Rule to controul the De-
mands of Officers, there would be great Danger of Extortion, and of
perpetual Contest, the Timid might submit to the most grievous
Oppression, and the Turbulent refuse to pay the most reasonable
Demand. That I am not authorised to prevent the Mischiefs of
Extortion and Litigation, by restraining the Officers Demands, is
the Point you have endeavoured to maintain, on which you have
display'd your Zeal, given ample Scope to your Patriotic Regards,
and accused those, whose Opinion differs from your own, of being
Enemies to the Peace, Welfare and Happiness of this Province,
and the Laws and Constitution thereof, an heavy Charge, but,
happily, a Charge that marks the Temerity and Rage of the Pro-
moters of it; but is devoid of Proof to fix the imputed Guilt of the
Accused, to whom I pay no great Compliment, when I say that they
are animated by as tender a Regard for the Peace, Happiness and
Constitution of this Province, as the Framers of the Address and
Resolves.
For the very Purpose of regulating the Conduct of the Officers,
in the Article of their ffees, to point out to them what they might,
and beyond which they should not demand, I issued my (shadowed
as you call it) Proclamation in the usual Words.
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