606   Appendix to Council Proceedings, 1696—1729.

              C. P.     pt pound, and 1s pr Hgd. for the Support of his Governmt &c

                 By this Act, As the Government was out of his Lordships

              p. 12     hands, they settle sd 1s pr Hgd (before Settled and Intended

                  for the Support of Government) for the future to be levied

                  and paid unto the Queen her heirs and Sucessors for the Sup

                  port of her Government, for the time being in and over this

                  Province.

                   This Law amongst many others, was in April 1715 whilst

                 Mr Hart acted under the Crown revised and reenacted. By

                 all this you will perceive that the Proprietary's had at least for

                 life the 1s pT Hgd. for the Support of Government, and the

                 Crown had a Settlement therein, for Ever.

                   I now Come to the restoration of the Government to the

                  Proprietary. Our fathers time was so short as not to Afford

                  any transactions of this kind; When it Devolved on you, the

                  Country found themselves engaged to pay their rents in Money

                  according to the Patents, for the 1s pr Hgd. premium for Accep

                  tance of Rents in Tobacco or 2 pence pr pound, determined

                  with our Grandfathers life. Therefore you and the Country

                  negociated the Agreement which hitherto from time to time

              p. 13     hath been renewd, Viz. 2s pr Hgd. in full lien of all Rents and

                  fines; This being to be Confirmed and Established by Law,

                  the Assembly Collected the Severall Imposts on Tobacco into

                  one Law, and so by one United Act Settled, the 2s for Rents

                  and fines, the former 1s for support of Governmt to wch (having

                  Enlarged the Gauge and Tare of Hogsheads) they Added 3

                  pence more, Viz. 15 pence in the whole. Now as herein was

                  the Composition for yr Rents, Ld Guilford doubtless thought

                  it not proper to Confirm such Agreement for a longer time

                  than your minority, That when you Came of Age, you might re

                  main at full and Unquestionable Liberty to Continue, alter, or

                  totally Dissolve such a Composition, Therefore was the Law

                  pro tempore only and by it, the Revenue for the Support

                  of Government; which used to be for longer Continuance as

                  above related became as temporary as the Composition for

                  Rents. An Error, whether Designd or not by the then As

                  sembly, very mischievous in its Consequences to you at present.

               p. t4 How this Inconvenience can now be avoided is worth Con

                  sideration, and I wish it may be found practicable; The rea

                  son of a more certain Settlement of the Support of Govern

                  ment, is in the Sense of all Sober people, confessedly with us,

                  and the rule and Custom all Along in this province, seem to

                  Evince it; but I fear little dependence is to be had, on the

                  operation such reason may have in the minds of the Male

                  volent; But at all Adventures, I would recommend the taking

                  the best advices, how it might behove us to proceed in Case