Fees in the American Colonies. 
97 
of the Eastern states. Much of this machinery of the courts was at 
first imposed upon the colonists by the governors, who had 
charge of the admistration of justice, and oftentimes even acted 
as judges. 1 But so little use did the colonists make of the 
courts, except to enforce criminal law, that no objection was 
raised against the fees collected by the various court officials, 
or at least inserted in the laws. 
Another form of charges, which were collected from the very 
beginning, were the perquisites and other fees which constitu¬ 
ted the compensation of the governors and inferior officers of the 
colonies. 2 The most important source of these fees were the 
land patents and land grants. Payments were also made for a 
variety of services performed by the governor, although no law 
fixing their amounts can be found. These charges were re¬ 
peatedly made pretexts for numerous extortions of various kinds, 
but there is ample evidence to show that they were not paid without 
protests. Indeed, so far were these objections carried, as to re¬ 
sult in an open revolt against the New York governor by Ver¬ 
mont. 3 The main objection they had to him was, that he charged 
1 Gov. Hunter’s commission in New York in 1703 gave him power to ap¬ 
point judges, commissioners of oyer and terminer, justices of the peace, 
and other officials. Civil List of New York, p. 163. The governors of 
New York were chief justices or appointed deputies to serve in that capac¬ 
ity. The governor of South Carolina was given the following fees ( Stat¬ 
utes,, 1865, II, 3): Signing vessel dispatch, 5s; signing license to sell 
wine, 5£; signing license to sell punch, 3£; signing letter testimonial, 10s; 
signing writ in admiralty court, L£; signing marriage license, 10s; signing 
warrant of contempt in admiralty, 1£; signing warrant of appraisement, 
5s; signing letter of administration, 5s; signing probate of will, 5s. In 1686 
the following fees were added: For grant of 500 acres of land, 1<£; injunc¬ 
tion in chancery, 10s; decree in chancery, 10s; ticket to leave, 2s 6d; grant 
of less than 500 acres of land, 10s; prohibition in admiralty, 10s; warrant 
for land, 2s 6d. 
2 The attorney general of the colony of New York was charged with the 
preparation of letters patent for corporations, grants of land, and so on; 
the fees from which were highly lucrative. Civil List of New York , 
1887, p. 176. 
3 The fees of the governor of New York for granting a township of land 
in Vermont were from $2,000 to $2,600, while the governor of New Hamp¬ 
shire charged only $100. Rowland E. Robinson, History of Vermont , 
p. 62. 
7 
