[New]bern 29. Decr. 1755
My Lords
I had the Honour of your Lordships of the 20th. of August last Week, and am very much pleased that your Lordship approves of my Conduct in endeavouring to act for the Good of this Colony; I am sorry that the Quit Rent Law is not agreable to your Lordship, it was the best I cou'd get, and I thought there were many good Clauses in it, and therefore I thought proper to pass it with a suspending Clause; I have seen Sr. Mathew Lambs Objections to it, and think that they are not so material as I had heard, but as there are many more good things in the Bill, than any thing in his Objections are prejudicial, I was in hopes the Good wou'd overbalance what is objected to, and some Amendments might have been made in a future Session; but if it comes back disapproved of, from the Declarations of the Lawyers and leading Men in the Assembly, I fear no other will be obtained, or if it shou'd be disagreed to by your Lordships Interest, they say any future Quit Rent Law shall be only for the King's part of the province exclusive of your Lordships, which wou'd give me great Concern.
I am not a little surprised that Mr. Corbin shou'd make a Complaint against me without the least foundation for it, or having ever mentioned it to me that any such Warrants were given, or Grants made out, the Surveyors having all Orders not to survey within your Lordships Line, and it wou'd give me great Concern if your Lordships by Mr. Corbin's false Representation's, which he does to make your Lordship believe he is zealous to serve you, shou'd make any Impression upon you to my Prejudice; that I shou'd be so weak or unjust as to encroach upon your Lordship's Right, which if it had been done inadvertently, I shou'd have remedy'd upon the first Notice from Mr. Corbin. But to shew your Lordship that it has all the Appearance of falsehood, I never granted a Warrant of Survey, or signed a patent but in the Court of Claims, which Mr. Corbin constantly attended. And as I cou'd not know the Lands, and he did, if any thing was amiss he ought to have stop'd it in the first Instance, or upon comparing the patents with the Survey when they were perfected; But in Case he afterwards found any such had been granted, was it not proper for him to have acquainted me with it, to have told me in what County the Lands were, and the Name of the Person to whom they were granted, and then if I had not recalled the Grants, he might with Justice have represented it against me to your Lordship, but since he never hinted any such thing to me, your Lordship may judge of his Intentions in making the Complaint. It is possible that Grants may be given of the Lands to the Westward of the place the Line was run by the Commissioners, as many Warrants and Patents have been granted to Westward of the Line, and as Mr. Corbin exparte has had a Line run a vast way to the Westward within the Latitude allotted to his Majesty, of which he had made out many Deeds, I believe 10 for one on the King's Side; as no Line has been fix'd, the Surveyors on each Side may have exceeded their Limits, but he never mention'd any thing of this to me but press'd me to name Commissioners to continue the Line, but by my Letter to your Lordship of last August you will see that nothing can be done without an order from England, and what Difficulties I am under until the Line is confirmed or altered, which is already run to his Majestie's and your Lordship's Satisfaction.
However since Mr. Corbin has been pleased to attack my Character unjustly, your Lordship must allow me to acquaint you with the Character he bears here, and part of his Management of your Lordship's Affairs and his Conduct as one of the Council; First it is said there is no Dependance upon his Veracity or Belief to be given to his Word, that for his own Ends he is often guilty of Misrepresentations & declaring of Untruths, which has occasion'd much Coldness between him and his Neighbours and with many Gentlemen in the Country, by raising Reports, and venting Falsities to one against another, and expects to be allow'd great Liberties as being your Lordship's Agent; and this very Session as one of the Council, or upper House, he narrowly escaped the Censure of both Houses, by carrying a false Account of the Intentions and Proceedings of the upper House to some Members of the lower House, in order to throw out a Clause that was agreable to both, by taking up a Bill that was read in the upper house, and putting a Mark upon a Clause as some of the Members of the lower House were coming up to know the fate of the Bill, he asked Leave of the Council to carry the Bill to them, and acquainted the Members that the upper House coud not agree to the Clause, which they all approved of, and that they wou'd lose the Bill unless they got the lower House To expunge the Clause; This, upon his Words, they took to be a Message from the upper House, and with great Discontent exclaimed against the upper House, but rather than lose the Bill, expunged the Clause, and when it was afterwards cleared up, and found to be a Trick of Corbins, they were going to pass some severe Censure upon him; whilst he laugh'd at his tricking them by telling them an Untruth. As to his Management of your Lordship's Affairs, he carries it with a high hand to the Claimant of Warrants for Lands: He has fix'd his Office at Coll. Heywoods in Edgecombe County for all Warrants and Deeds, and no person is to be admitted but through Coll. Heywood, or his Sons, for which Money must be paid not brought to account, to gain his Friendship, and to be admitted, or there they must attend from Day to Day without being dispatched, and no person knows what fees are charged, but a Sum in bulk is paid, which it is said is by your Lordship's Order, and upon your Account, but they all inform me that £12 is paid for what does not exceed £4 in the Grants from the Crown. In Rowan he had appointed one Carter, who from a Surveyor had raised himself by unjustifiable Methods, in taking Money from the Newcome Settlers to pay for their Warrants and Deeds, which he seldom performed, frequently sinking the Money, promising them from time to time to take them out, saying they were perfected, when no such Warrants or Deeds were ever made, and others who paid more, got Grants of the same Land, who gets that Money can't be known; I have ordered Major Carter to be prosecuted for Breach of Trust and upon his Bond with Sureties, for £500—he got from the Public by Order of the Assembly to buy Arms at this critical Juncture for Rowan County which he has applied to his own Use, without taking any Steps to buy the Arms and Amunition, I having been obliged to send them up Arms from the publick Store, which will be wanted in other frontier Counties, and upon the Sea Coast. We hear that Mr. Wheatly is appointed Joynt Agent with Mr. Corbin and with equal powers, but Mr. Corbin so far denies his power, that he acts for both, without letting him know what warrants or Deeds are made out, or without having it in his power to remove the Office from Colonel Heywood; and he tells Wheatly that he has not time to let him see the Account, but pays him Money upon Account as if he was one of his Clerks; But of this I believe your Lordship will be inform'd by Mr. Wheatly. I do think if Mr. Corbin be continued, it wou'd be of Service to your Lordship, and very pleasing to those who take Deeds from you, that you wou'd direct him or Mr. Wheatly to place up publickly in the Office what the Quantum of the Fees are your Lordship has ordered to be taken, and an Order that no more shou'd be taken by him, Haywood, or any other employ'd under the Agents, & then your Lordship wou'd be informd whether greater Sums have been taken, and consequently sunk and concealed from your Lordship, as your Tenants are uneasy, and apprehend it is so, as they can have no Satisfaction, by knowing the particular Articles which make up the Total charged to them; If they knew it to be your Lordship's Order, and that it all came to your Lordships hands, they wou'd be better pleased. I shall take up no more of your time than to assure your Lordship, that I shall always support your Lordship's Right & Interest, as far as my Duty and Oath to the Crown will allow me, where any thing is in Suspence betwixt his Majesty's Right and your Lordships.
I am with the greatest Respect and Gratitude for your Favours
My Lord
Your Lordship's
most obedient and most
humble Servant
Arthur Dobbs
North Carolina—
Newbern 29th. December 1755.
Govr. Dobbs.
Rd. 9th. May 1756.