the regulation of the export of tobacco, provision was made for the payment of the rents and fines in that article. At what time it finally ceased I am not enabled to state with certainty; but, in the latter period of the provincial government the rents and alienation fines seem to have been paid in money. Fines on alienations by devise were formally relinquished in the year 1742; but, on other alienations those fines, as well as the quit rents; continued to be charged and collected until the revolution made a short settlement of every thing that concerned the proprietary revenues.     CHAPTER XVIII.     FURTHER ACCOUNT OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE LAND OFFICE, AND, GENERAL AND CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS CONCERNING THE ANCIENT PRACTICE.     WE have spoken formerly of land affairs as being under the direction, at different periods, of the proprietary's lieutenant or governor; of the governor and council conjointly; the secretary of the province; the select land council, and the chief agent and receiver general. Until the distinct erection of the land office in 1680, the secretary, in whose care were the public records of every kind, was the officer charged with the issuing of warrants, passing grants, &c. having under him, for that and other purposes, a chief clerk, appointed and commissioned by the Government. Llewellin, who occupied that place at the time of the new organization, was naturally appointed register: By the authorities vested in him by his commission the power and responsibility of the secretary, were much lessened, and, except that all ministerial offices were considered as branching from that of the secretary, and in some degree under his superintendance and controul, there was no officer or tribunal between the register and the proprietary himself, in council, to act upon applications, or to decide judicially in contested cases in the office. In a word, there were not at this time, nor had ever been, JUDGES (so called) of the land office. This state of things continued for four years, when the land council was erected on occasion of the proprietary's going to England, and assumed the direction of all the operations of the land office, as well as the decision of controversies arising therein, the register having nevertheless the power of acting in ordinary matters without particular instruction. The revolution