454 BALTIMORE «. MoKIM.—3 BLAND.

Since the Revolution it has continued to be an established prin-
ciple, that no appeal can be allowed from any decision of the
Chancellor, as Judge of the Land Office; and, indeed, there seems
to be no more reason now why an appeal should be allowed, than
under the Proprietary Government. If the patent should have
been improperly refused by the Chancellor, or because it could not
*be granted consistently with the rules of the land office,
465 and the claim of the applicant should, nevertheless, have a
solid foundation in equity and justice, the Legislature, exercising
a large discretionary power over such anomalous eases, has never
failed to provide for the correction of mistakes, or to grant relief
by dispensing with those settled rules by which the party had

viz: Wills' Town, surveyed in June, 1745, Buck Lodge, and Sugar Bottom,
in June, 1746, Turkey Flight, and Prized, in August, 1746, and Lawrence
and Bigg Bottom in November, 1746, containing in the whole 2,254 acres;
surveyed, as is set forth in the said certificates, for Thomas Bladen, Esq.
As the land described in these certificates appeared tp be the same tracts for
which Doctor Ross had, as we have already observed, obtained special war-
rants, we thought it our duty to forbid patent issuing to Mr. Bladen till we
could examine the records and inquire how it had happened, that those cer-
tificates had lain so long dormant. On examination we found in the land
records the following entries:

" October the 21st, 1743.—Order issued to the surveyor of Prince George's
County to lay out for his Excellency Thomas Bladen, Esq. two thousand
acres of land, caution to be paid on the return of the certificates, &c.''

"2,000 acres part of a warrant for 4,012 acres granted Doctor George
Stewart the 3d day of February, 1846, and by him assigned to his Excel-
lency Thomas Bladen, Esq. is applied to make good rights to the above war-
rant."

"April the lath, 1745.—Warrant then issued to the surveyor of Prince
George's County to lay out for his Excellency Thomas Bladen, Esq. two
thousand acres of land, caution to be paid on the return of the certificates,
&c."

"April the 16th. 1745.—Warrant then issued to the surveyor of Prince
George's County to lay out for his Excellency Thomas Bladen, Esq. three
thousand acres of land, caution to be paid on the return of the certificates."

''Rights made good to 2,012 acres part of this warrant by applying so much
part of a warrant for 4,012 acres granted said Bladen the 3d of February,
1746."

That your Excellency may be thoroughly informed, we think it necessary
to lay before you a copy of the original warrants, that were issued out of
the office in consequence of the foregoing entries, and to state, in a distinct
manner, the several tracts, that were surveyed, and for which certificates
were returned into the office by virtue of those warrants respectively.

"L. Gale.— Lay out for the use of his Excellency Thomas Bladen, Esq.
two thousand acres of land, and return your certificate or certificates of
survey thereof within six months from the date hereof; and for your so
doing this shall be your warrant. Given under his lordship's lesser seal of
arms the 21st of October, 1743."

The above warrant was renewed in the usual form, and the following
tracts of land were laid out by virtue thereof: