- Transcription
To the Kings Most Excellent Majesty in Council—The Memorial of Your Majestys Governor and Officers in the Province of North Carolina.
Humbly Sheweth
That your Memorialists the Governor and Officers upon the Establishment of this Province have long Labourd under great disadvantages occasioned by an Act of Assembly pass'd in the Year 1748 by the late Governor Gabriel Johnston intitled an Act for regulating the several Officers Fees within this Province and ascertaining the method of paying the same.
That by this Act the Fees for particular Services recited therein are payable in Proclamation Money or Bills of credit the real Value of which is uncertain.
That Proclamation Money according to Act of Parliament is ascertain'd to be in the proportion of Four Pounds to Three Pounds Sterling & in that proportion to Sterling is fix'd the real Value of Proclamation Money of all the different parts of the American Plantations
That the Currency of this Province is so mutch decreased in Value as not to be worth more then in the proportion of Two Pounds Proclamation Money for One pound Sterling and that your Majesty's Revenues arising in this Province are by an Act of Assembly payable in this Currency by which Means they are greatly lessen'd Four hundred pounds Currency According to Act of Assembly being really worth Three hundred pounds Sterling whereas by the present Depreciation of the Currency it is of no greater Value than two Hundred Pounds.
That the Fee pay'd to Your Majesty's Governor for the signing of each Patent, or Grant of Lands is no more than Six Shillings & Eight Pence Currency, equal only to Three Shillings and Four Pence Sterling; and no Fee for the great Seal as Customary in other Provinces.
That your Majestys Officers upon this Establishment are pay'd their small Fees in the same proportion in particular the Clerk of the Crown's fees in Chancery are so Triffling that to this Circumstance is Principally owing the many delays in that Court to the very great prejudice of your Majesty's Subjects in this Province in General.
That many services are perform'd by your Majestys Officers, for which no Fees are allow'd And Your Memorialists believe this Omission was occasioned by the small Number of Inhabitants and the Infancy of the Province when less Severe duty was requisite in the different Offices than at present.
That by the said Act pass'd in 1748 and Several Acts of Assembly of this Province referring thereto (Notwithstanding the decrease in value of the Currency) Your Majestys Officers are debarrd from receiving the Crown Revenue at any other Rate, or from taking other or greater Fees than is express'd in the said Acts under Severe Penaltys, to the great detriment of your Majesty's Revenue and the Dimmution of the Legal Fees in the Publick Offices in General.
Your Memorialists therefore humbly pray Your Majesty will be Graciously pleased to take the same to Your Royal Consideration and to order the Act of Assembly pass'd in the year 1748 to be Repeal'd or cause such orders to be made for receiving the Crown Revenues and the Fees of officers on the Establishment of this Province ad Valorem & that such adequate Fees may be taken for Services not in the Act of Assembly particularly mentioned as to Your Majesty's Royal Wisdom shall seem Meet.
Jn Rutherford RG.
Jas. Hasell CB
Thos. Falkner Secry.
Benjn. Heron C. Pleas
Thos. McGwire J.V.A.
Willm Dry. Colr.
Robt. Palmer S. Genl.
Will Hill [Q N Cllr.]
Memorial of the Governor and Officers in North Carolina for repealing an Act passed there in 1748 for regulating Officers Fees, and for establishing the said Officers Fees on a different footing—
Rx 22d. Novr. 1764 in a Letter from Govr. Dobbs to Mr. Sharpe
12th. Decr. 1764, Read & Refd. to a Committee
Recd & referred to the Board of Trade 14 Dec 1764.
