An Evil which cannot be fully obviated but by some general act for the Confirmation of Lands within the said Counties.

The third general Inconvenience complained of is the Distance of the said Counties from the former Seat of Government. By reason whereof the obtaining of Justice is on the one Hand rendered laborious tedious and expensive to the Inhabitants and on the other the Influence of the said Government over such Inhabitants is weak and disipated. From whence results a want of

Energy & vigor in the administration to the great Encouragement of the lawless and wicked & to the utter Distress and Ruin of all loyal, peaceable and good subjects. But

The fourth general Inconvenience and which furnishes the broadest Ground of Clamor and Complaint is the Exaction of heavy Quit Rents for the Lands within the said Counties which they consider as an Innovation upon the Rights of Mankind for whose use such Lands were given by a bountiful Providence without reservation and which ought not in their opinion to be char ged with Taxes other than for the general Support & Defence of the State and Government. Besides this they observe that the Regulation is extremely Partial since thereby Lands of the greatest value both as to Quality & Situation pay no Part of a Tax which falls heavy upon the Possessors of a rough or even mountainous Country remote from the means of obtaining large supplies of money for discharging this unequal and of Consequence inequitable Impost. And to this they add that such Quit Rents generally fall heavy upon the poor man who purchases & small Farm and who is burthened not only with paying all the arrearages due upon it but liable to be turned out and have his Property sold by the Laws of this State to pay the Quits of a