The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-10-04


Vile Office was closed from 1865 to 1774, and no
settler during that period was able to obtain a
title to the premises he occupied. 1t was re-opened
in the latter year, and continued open until the
Revolution In the trial of the suit instituted
about the beginning century, for this immense
tract of country, the title of Earl Granville
admitted to have been incontestible, late the
18th February, 1776. The suit was decided
against him by Judge Potter in 1906, in the
Circuit Court OF the United States, was removed
by writ of error to the Supreme Court of the
United States, and owing to the death of the
plaintiffs counsel, Phillip Barton Key, and the
subsequent death of the Earl was, in 1917, stricken
from the docket for the want of prosecution bond.
At the beginning and nearly to the close of the
Regulation, 1770D Guilford, Chatham, Rocking
ham and considerable portion Of Wake, were
included within the boundaries of Orange Ran
dolph, Caswell and Person not carved out OF IL
until after the adoption of the State Constitution.
Alamance was created in 184S.--The Regulators
were less numerous within the present boundaries
of Orange than in any other portion of the original
county. Alamance, Guilford and Randolph were
their strong holds
The white population of the province at the
beginning of Governor Tryons administration was
about $50, 900 Slaves and free persons of color
may have numbered 10000. All free males at
the age of sixteen and upwards were taxable. The
the free population, or half the number of free
males, 45,OUO. The slaves given in for taxation,
ought to have been, but probably were not more
than equal in number to half the slave population,
or 10000. Computing six persons to a family, the
number of white families may be estimated at
10000.
The public debt, in outstanding bills of credit,
is stated by Williamson to have amounted to
e75,O32 As Cd. These were lawful tender at
Al 90 H.
in the proportion of two to one The sinking fund
poll tax of one shilling, and duty of four
pence per gallon on imported wines and spirits.
The public debt to be met substantially by poll
tax, was about equal to e. los. each head of a
family.
The quit rents of those residents within the boun-
daries of the Granville Patent were payable to his
Lordship's agent, and in the southern district at
the office of the Crown. The former owed semi
allegiance to Lord Granville, and may we'll be
supposed to have been regarded and treated with
less favor than the immediate tenants of the King.
Such undoubtedly the case.
From the date of 1.-The great deed of grant, in
l744, to the dawn of the Revolution in IVA, the
inequality Of representation, the great extent of
the western counties difficulties in procuring titles
to lands, frauds practiced by Lord Granvile's
deputies, superadded to the extortons and pecula-
tions of the officers were unceasing subjects
district
As early as 1756, We find Lord Granville writing
to his agent Francis Corbin, as follows: Great
and frequent complaints transmitted to me of
the persons you employ to receive entries and make
surveys in the back counties 1t is their extortiOns,
and not the regular fees of office, which is the
cause of clamor from my tenants 1nsinuatlons
made, too, if these extortions were connived
at by my agents; for otherwise, 1t is said, they
cOuld bp atodIv
barefacedly."
In 1883, company of ten or fifteen men from
Halifax crossed the Chowan river, proceeded to
the house OF COrbin, some miles below Edenton,
made him their prisoner, and carried him, in the
night to Enfield. He was detained for days,
until he entered into bond, with eight sureties,
in the sum of eight thousand pounds, to produce
his books within three weeks, and return all the
money he had received in excess of the regular
fees to which he was entitled Instead of producing
the books within the stipulated time, he instituted
suit against four of the rioters The defendants
refused to give bail, and were committed to prison.
The indignant and enraged populace cut down the
Jail door on the following day, and liberated the
prisoners. COrbin, short time thereafter dismissed
the suit and paid the costs. Such were the
premontory symptoms of the Regulation.
In letter from Gov. Tryon, dated 4th July,
1867, to the Earl of Shelburn he states that upon
one-half the public monies ordered to be raised and
collected by them. 1t is estimated that the sherifs'
arrears amount to forty thousand pounds proclama-
ton money, not FIVE thousand of which will posi-
bly, ever come into the Treasury; as in many in
stances, the shers and their securities are either
insolvent or retreated out of the province"
The Stamp Act received the royal signature on
the 10Th of March, 1865. 1t contained ftty-fve
sections, and embraced in its multifarious provi-
sions range and extent of actions rarely appre-
hended in our day. No one of the thirteen provin-
ces was more unanimous y opposed to it than North
Carolina, and nowhere was this opposition more
manifest and decided, than throughout the boun-
diaries of the Granville Patent.
Every species of instrument by which property,
real or personal, might be conveyed, every written
evidence of debt, every paper used in commercial
transactions in the commercial marts or in neigh
borhood traffic, subject to onerous impositions
Among the most odious exactons were taxes
upon knowledge. The duties upon newspapers
and pamphlets were not merely greater in amount
than the cost of such publications at present, but
so great, that if levied now, would in year
limit the issue of the periodical press to a third of
the present number, and convert the newspaper,
almost necessity of life, into luxury to be eu-
joyed only by the rich.
Every pamphlet or paper containing hale sheet
or less, charged with a cent. If larger than
half sheet, and not greater than whole sheet two
cents. Pamphlets and papers larger than sheet,
and linz oh