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from whome a tenth part of them were bought. I was never surveyor by office, but undertaker by contract, and rather a contriver of the way and method how many surveyors should worke, then a surveyor myselfe, having never given any particular directions aforehand, nor made any alteration in their worke afterwards. I never medled with lands or debentures till this surveyorship, such as it was, was at an end; and then, and when the distribution alsoe was over, I got an exspress and legall leave to buy more debentures then I did. I have, Mr Speaker, been superstitiously carefull of this proviso of the Act of Parliament, wherewith I have been long acquainted, uppon the occasion of other concernements as well as my owne. As for necessitating to sell, I conceive that was not possible ex natura rei, much less to sell to me. The debentures I bought were of such men as bought to sell againe; I paid prizes, as if I had been necessitated to buy. And as for refusing to sett out lands, I say that all debentures that possibly could bee drawne, by proclamation after proclamation, within about ten moneths time, were satisfyed in the freest, most generall, and regular way imaginable. Besides, Sir, there were four Commissioners for setting out lands, any two making a quorum; so that in effect there were three quorums of Commissioners besides my selfe, any whereoff could have sett out lands without me.
To the third article, which is, that by fraudulent and indirect meanes I have gotten into my hands vast summes of money from the State, and possest my selfe of many thousand acres of land whereunto I have noe right, I say that I never had any money from the State by way of gift or donation, but only by contract; that such contract was the dayly worke, for four moneths together, of the Councill, grand committees of officers, committees of artists, admitting the advice of whomesoever thought themselves concerned, and att length reviewed by his Highness councill at law; that I never received money by this contract untill I had first been sufficiently tortured by references, reports, examinations of all kinds; that the summe which I have received exceeds not 17000li; the worke that hath been done for this summe was the admeasurement, ffield by field, of twenty-two countyes, within thirteene monethes time, which was thought the worke of as many yeares. Of this 17000li, the souldiers paid about halfe, and did make this contribution of their owne accord, through my interest with them, and the good opinion they had of my performance. That the survey, as it now lyeth, I verily beleive, will not be left by the State for more
