The secretary's income arises from fees for all business done in his office, which come (communibus annis) to about seventy thousand pounds tobacco per annum, out of which he pays twelve thousand five hundred, and cask, to the clerks. His other perquisites proceed out of the acknowledgments paid him annually by the county clerks, and are besides about forty thousand pounds of tobacco and cask.
§ 9. There are two other general officers in the country who do not receive their commission and authority immediately from the crown, and those are: 1. The ecclesiastical commissary, viz: the Rev. James Blair, authorized by the right reverend father in God, the lord bishop of London, ordinary of all the plantations. 2. The country's treasurer, viz: the Hon. Peter Beverley, esq., authorized by the general assembly.
The commissary's business is to make visitations of churches and have the inspection of the clergy. He is allowed one hundred pounds per annum out of the quitrents.
The treasurer's business is to receive the money from the several collectors, and to make up the accounts of the duties raised by some late acts of assembly for extraordinary occasions. His salary is six per cent. of all money passing through his hands.
These are all the general officers belonging to that government, except the court of admiralty, which has no standing officer. The present judge of the admiralty is John Clayton, esq.
§ 10. The other public commission officers in the government, (except those of the militia, for whom a chapter is reserved,) are escheators, naval officers, collectors, clerks of courts, sheriffs of counties, surveyors of land, and coroners.
The escheators have their precincts or bounds, according to the several necks of land; for their profits, they demand five pound for each inquest taken, being paid only as business happens.
The naval officers have their bounds according to the districts on the rivers, and so have the collectors. The profits of the first arise from large fees, upon the entering and clearing of all ships and vessels. The collectors have each a salary out of the treasury in England of forty pounds, sixty pounds, or an hundred pounds, according to their several districts, they being appointed by the honorable commissioners of the customs in England, pursuant to the statute made in the twenty-fifth year of King Charles the second; and have, moreover, salaries of twenty per cent. on all the duties they collect, by virtue of the same statute, and also large fees for every entry and clearing.
The naval officers' other profits, are ten per cent. for all moneys by them received; both on the two shillings per hogshead, port duties, skins and furs, and also on the new imposts on servants and liquors when such duty is in being.
The clerks of courts, sheriffs and surveyors, are limited according to the several counties. The clerks of courts receive their commissions from the secretary of State; the sheriffs theirs from the governor, and the surveyors of land theirs from the governors of the college, in whom the office of surveyor general is vested by their charter.