Voices of the People

Nova Scotia House of Assembly Petitions and Correspondence

17 December 1805

Petition of John Solomon, Deputy Register of Deeds and Conveyances for the County of Halifax since 1763. The memorialist "begs leave to represent, that the Books of Records are now become very numerous and from many Years use some of them are much torn and defaced, and unless they are repaired and Copied, in a few Years it will be impossible to trade the Title of many Estates in this Province, and the Fees of Office being very inadequate to support an Office of so much importance to the Province in general, they not Amounting to more than Forty pounds a Year, and after paying for Books, Stationary, Fuel, and Office Rent, there can be but a very small Sum left to reward any person for doing the Business, and to pay that attention necessary to the Office. Your Memorialist therefore with great diffidence and respect begs leave to Solicit your Excellency and His Majesty’s Council with the House of Assembly to consider his Situation and from his long Services and being far advanced in Years, with a large Family to grant him some Yearly Allowance to make correct Copies of those which are torn and Mutilated, to enable him to repair the Books of Record and to preserve the whole of them in good Order, and also to keep a Book of Record for each County for the purpose of Entering the Quarterly Returns of Deeds &c. as by Law required." Signed. Recommended by the Lt.-Governor. (See Assembly Journal pp. 63, 71, 72, for further action.)

Reference: Nova Scotia House of Assembly Nova Scotia Archives RG 5 Series A volume 12 number 34