THE MARYLAND PATRONAGE 7

was made a separate place of profit. Thus seven offices in all
were taken from the secretariat, and that office was itself divided
between a principal and a deputy.

Moreover, of those places taken from the Secretary several
underwent further division. The Surveyorship was in 1697 divided
between two incumbents, one for each shore. Much earlier this
officer had begun to appoint deputies, of whom there was soon
one in each county. In 1683 the function of examining and passing
certificates of survey was given to an Examiner General.

The Agent and Receiver General, throughout colonial times,
received and disbursed the proprietary revenue. Originally he
also handled public moneys and tobaccos, and in 1689 he acquired
possession of the rent roll. The provincial funds were, however,
taken from him under royal government, and in 1694 two Public
Treasurers were appointed to receive and disburse them. The
rent roll, largely destroyed in 1699, was compiled anew by two
" Copartners in Farming the Quit-Rents " and in 1707, at the
expiration of their lease, was entrusted to a separate Rent Roll
Keeper now appointed. After 1733 there were two such keepers,
one for either shore.

The Agent seems at first to have received His Lordship's
territorial revenue directly from freeholders and tenants, but as the
progress of settlement enlarged this function, he began to appoint
subordinates. These were the collectors of quit-rents; special
officers to receive alienation fines in each county, usually the
county clerk; and stewards, to lease out manors and reserves
and to collect the rents.

In 1716 Baltimore discontinued the office of collector and
accepted a duty of two shillings per hogshead on tobacco in lieu
of all quit-rents and alienation fines. On their resumption in
1733 the quit-rents were entrusted to farmers and receivers, who
accounted to the Agent and Receiver General. In 1755 the office
of receiver was discontinued, and that of farmer was assigned
to the sheriffs; but twelve years later the farmer's office was again
made separate and distinct.

The Attorney General began in 1688 to appoint deputies, one in
each county. These officers, originally styled His Lordship's At-
torneys, were after 1690 called Clerks of the Indictments. On
three occasions a Solicitorship General was divided from the
Attorney's place, but the new office was each time short lived.