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The Plain Dealer, Numb. III - 7

a compleat title to an estate by a meer warrant and survey, might convey that estate to another, and the Proprietors personal remedy would immediately cease on the absence of the person to whom the grant was first made. It is complained the Proprietor asks too much for his lands, this would have been a way to get them for little, or which is more likely, it would have been a way to prevent the frontier counties from growing too fast, and would have saved the province some money in hiring Indians to kill the Dutch and Irish. That was true Quaker policy. The Lords of Trade made several other objections to this act, to which I would subjoin one, viz. It was calculated for making estates for some Quakers, and their Tools by bringing old papers and titles into their hands, of which they have since made a proper use.-----

ANOTHER of the acts obtained by a bribe, was the remitting act, which was truly righteous and good,
Because it was contrary to the Royal Prerogative,
Because it was calculated to defraud the Proprietor, and
Because it was designed to secure a valuable place for a Quaker Assemblyman.

I don’t mention these things as being peculiar to that law; for the Lords of Trade observe, that these several purposes are united in almost every act that was passed, when we had a proper Governor. But as our Assembly has for many years discovered a singular pleasure in blackening the Proprietors character, and injuring his estate; I shall here take the liberty of enquiring a little into the merits of that part of their conduct, and I believe we shall not find him deserving of those indecent appellations, and that load of infamy which they bestow on him. I am certain there are few men possessed of power and large estates in land, who have been more universally allowed to have treated those under them with forbearance and lenity. He has never pushed a poor man or distrained on his estate. He has never taken the advantage

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