Documenting the American South Logo
Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from the Lords Proprietors of Carolina to the North Carolina Governor's Council and General Assembly
Carolina. Lords Proprietors.
August 01, 1716
Volume 02, Pages 235-236

[B. P. R. O. B. T. No. Carolina. Vol. 6. P. 35.]
LETTER TO THE COUNCIL & ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA.

1716. August 1st

To the Council and Assembly of North Carolina Gentlemen,

Our Governor Mr Eden having sent the Laws of our Province of North Carolina, as they were revised and settled by you at the last meeting of your Bienniall Assembly which began on the 13th Novr 1715 that we might peruse and give Our Approbation of the same; We do hereby assure you that we will carefully look them over, and ratify and confirm such of them as may any way contribute to the good Government Trade or Welfare of our said Province, and shall take care to transmit them to you with what convenient speed we can.

But in the mean time we cannot but take notice how unreasonably you concern yourselves in matters relating only to Us, which is our property vizt. You wou'd in a Clause of your last Act of Assembly oblige Our Receiver to take your Bills for the purchasing of Our Lands, and for the payments of the small quit Rents we have reserved by the Deeds of Sale. We think you have nothing to do with our Lands and therefore you must expect to receive that Clause at least, in that Act of Assembly repeal'd.

We are of opinion that our Tenants ought to be held to their Covenants in their Grand Deeds in relation to the payment of their Quit Rents and that all the purchase money now due for Lands shou'd be made in sterling money or at sixteen penny weight the Crown, or in the produce of the Country equivalent therunto.

-------------------- page 236 --------------------

We are further to inform you Gentlemen that we have resolv'd that no more Land shall be sold in Our Province of North Carolina, but that such sales of Land only as are made here at our Board shall be good.

We desire you to remember that all Laws pass'd by the Assembly, after they are repeal'd by Us are voyd, and that no Law whatever either already pass'd or that hereafter shall be pass'd can be in Force for any Longer time than two years, unless such Law is within that time confirmed under the Hands and Seals of Lord Palatin and four more of the Lords Proprietors.

Mr Eden has sent to us a Petition he received from the Freeholders and Inhabitants of Bath Town in the County of Bath may be made a Sea Port Town, and a Corporation; We are very willing to indulge the Inhabitants of our Province in any reasonable Request, and we have therefore order'd Our Secretary to draw an Instrument to signify to the Custom house here Our Pleasure that the Town of Bath shall be made a Sea Port Town, and to send a Duplicate os the said Instrumt to you that you may lay the same before the Surveyor General of the Customs when he shall arrive in Our Province of North Carolina.

We doubt not Gentlemen of your Endeavours for the Good of our Province; So We bid you heartily farewell, and are,

Your very loving Friends
CARTERET Palatin
JA: BERTIE for Beaufort
FULWAR SKIPWITH for Craven
M. ASHLEY
J. COLLETON
J. DANSON

August ye 1st 1716.