Sir,

As there are many Irregularities throughout the Province with Regard to the Obtaining & granting Licences I must request your Assistance towards putting a Stop thereto and to that End do thereby appoint you to sign all Marriage Licences within your County, I must Earnestly Recommend it to you to direct the several Constables frequently to inspect the Licences of Ordinary Keepers and Traders and if any are found retailing Liquor or Trading without Licence or after the Term of their Licences is lapsed to report the same to you in Order to force them Directly to Comply with the Acts of Assembly, or if they Neglect to put the said Acts in Force against them, I am informed that it is too frequent a Practice with several Ordinary Keepers to content themselves with petitioning for Licences without paying any Fees whereby the Laws are brought to Contempt. I must therefore recommend it to you and the Other Justices of your County that it be made a Rule of Court that no Petition for Licences be heard till all Fees are first deposited with the Clerk to be Retained if the Licence be granted, or Refunded when denied; The same I must recommend with Regard to Letters Testamentary & of Administration and I must beg leave to Commission you to inspect the Clerk [illegible] [illegible] [illegible] on account Of what Licences and Letters he shall issue that you may know what Fees he shall receive for me and to Sign his Account of such Fees and to acquaint the Clerk that I shall admit of no Account of Fees recd. by him for me but such as shall be Countersigned by you; I must again Desire you to do your Utmost that the Act for Licenceing Traders be duly Complyed with and the Duty paid and if any Difficulty or Neglect happen therein to acquaint me with it as it is my Resolution that all the Laws of this Province be punctually Observed. I must also Desire you to acquaint the County Clerk that he must Account with me twice a year for my Fees and transmit the same with the Account Countersigned by you immediately after the first of May and first of November yearly.

I am Sr

yr Humble Servant

Arthur Dobbs