Newbern 24th. March 1755

Sir

As there are many Irregularities throughout the Province with Regard to the obtaining and granting Licenses, I must request your Assistance towards putting a Stop thereto, and to that End do hereby appoint you to sign all Marriage Licenses within your County. I must earnestly recommend it to you to direct the several Constables frequently to inspect the Licenses of Ordinary keepers and Traders, and if any are [torn] retailing Liquors or trading without Licenses, or [torn] of their License is lapsed, to report the same to you, [torn] to force them directly to comply with the Acts of Assembly, or if they neglect, to put the said Acts inforce against them. I am informed that it is too frequent a practice with several Ordinary keepers to content themselves with petitioning for Licenses 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 Licenses be heard, 'till all fees are first deposited with the Clerk, to be retain'd if the License is granted, or refunded when denied. The same I must recommend with Regard to Letters Testamentary and of Administration, and I must beg leave to commission you to inspect the Clerk's Minutes, and keep an Account of what Licenses 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 receiv'd by him for me, but such as shall be countersign'd by you. I must again desire you to do your utmost that the Act for licensing Traders be duely complied with, and the Duty paid, or 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 Acct. countersign’d by you immediately after the first of May and first of November yearly. I am

Sir

your most hble [Servt.]

Arthur D[obbs]