May it Please Your Grace
In Jany last being in such a State of Health that I could not do myself the Honour to Write to Your Grace I got Mr Edm. Porter our Judge of the Admiralty of this Province to transmitt to you a Copy of my Order to one Mr John Lovick acting as Secretary here under the Lord Proprietors of this Country forbiding him Issuing out any more Warrants or Patents for Land till His Majesty's Pleasure were further Known which Notwithstanding the thing was a disadvantage to myself Yet I conceived it my Duty as Governor so to do after Hearing our Gracious King had made a Purchase of the Soyl thō such my Orders have been of Little or no Effect the said Lovick not regarding them as by a Letter under his hand afterwards sent me and being well informed since that he still out of an Avaritious View, continues to Emitt such Warrants and Patents for Land, I again Repeated my Com̄ands in Open Councill the 31st of March last Read and Delivered to be Recorded at
the said Board, a true Copy thereof comes herewith Inclosed, at which time the Members of My Councill broke up in great Pett, and have not since been so mannerly as to give me an Answer, but Caviled with me concerning my Authority in case of Vacancy in appointing a Provost Marshall which occasioned an entire Overthrow of all Proceedings in Chancery. I thought it necessary to give Your Grace this Information least His Majesty's Interest should suffer, there having been for severall Years past very corrupt doings in the Secretary's office of this Country Concerning the Lands Transacted by the aforesaid Lovick and Mr Edd Moseley Survr Genll as formerly set forth by Mr Ed. Porters Memorial to Your Grace, and it is my humble Opinion an Officer as Receiver Genll of the Quit Rents with a Power of Inspecting into the Clandestine Disposition of Lands would be at this time Highly Necessary I'm with all due Regard and Respect