confirmation of all the Grants excepting such as are truly extravagant to define or determine the Grants that are truely such without

making the exceptions to general or

too particular, by naming the particular Grants to be excepted

The following proposal seems to me to be more practicable, Viz to abolish all the present rents, by an act of the Legislature, and in lieu of them to establish the Quitrents of all passed grants at 2 s 6 d per hundred acres, with an absolute Confirmation of all Grants upon their paying the said Quitrents.

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This would effectually restore the Quitrents, and would as effectually destroy all the Gr ts which are truly extravagant.

I mean such as the Proprietors cannot improve in any reasonable time for as this

rent would be very heavy where the Tracts exceed twenty or thirty thousand acres, the Patentees

would gladly surrender their Grants, to free themselves from this Burden, but at the same time it would be just to preserve to them their improved Lands under proper restrictions of not rendering useless any part of what is not delivered up. The Quitrents would in this case be sufficient to support the Government, and if they were applied to that purpose, I believe would give a general satisfaction, because it would be as equal a Taxation as could well be contrived, and the taxes would not, as they do now, fall only upon the improvements and the industry of the people. It wou' d likewise absolutely remove the complaints of the Merchants, so that it would generally please all sorts, excepting the owners of the large Tracts And I humbly conceive it for the Kings interest and of all those in the Administration to consent to this because the Quitrents are of no use besides paying the Salary of the Receiver and Auditor, and that Gentlemans estate would be thought to be ill managed, when it only paid his Steward and his Clerks wages.