ENPages
(seq. 1)
{Cambridge} Apr 16. 1716.
Rec'd & [illegible]
M[?] Sever Hall [?] [?] is bound [illegible] and I [illegible] willing [illegible] Salutation [illegible]
For the Improvint. of the Lands purchased of the Indians with part of Mr Hopkins Legacy.
This humbly offer'd, & proposed That Seeing the Temper of the generality of the {people} of this Country Seems to be averse to become Tenents for Years onely, Such terms may be Conceiv'd and offer'd as may obviate abate and not [enerease?] Such aversion.
That a plainly Easy Rent may Set, and that a Considera -ble Term of years may be fix'd, 1. If we Set the Rent at three pence {per} acre it will look but like a Quit-Rent, and wil not have the face of [arack?]-rent, and yet we may by this Raise more then Six {per} cent for a meer ground rent. 2. The Term of one hundred years is the Shortest that can be thot of, This is deem'd by most to be too short and it is no wonder it {should} be So deem'd, considering the Lands are so near to Framingham, where the {Tenants} have leases for 9999 years. 3. This {proposed} by Some {gentlemen} that have thot of the methods of promoting the {Settlements} on Our purchase, that the [{Tenants}?] might be order'd so as to be freeholds, and [in left margin] [Suppose?] one or 2 {pounds] that an {Advancement} upon the Expiration of 99 or 100 years may be conceiv'd now, and an article in the Leases now given may be inserted Specifying [fixing?] the Same, and So a continuance for Lives, with a renewing upon the determination of any one life, and as often as a life determines, without any further advancing the rents. Only demanding a smal fine or fee
(seq. 2)
3 This proposed that one hundred pounds be laid out towards the building a meeting house, and the like sum towards the building a Parsonage house.
4. For the Encouragemt of {Tenants} three quarters of the Lands will be Exempt from all publick Taxes by Virtue of the College Charter.
5. The {Tenants} to Covt. to Improve the Lands they take up viz. Every lott, To build, house and barn and fence in a number of acres & clear the Same, within a [?] number of years.
6. That a Clause of Distress and Reentry be inserted in the Leases on the usual failures.
7. That a certain rent be set on the Lands towards the support of the ministry and Schools.
8. That the {Tenants} may be {dependent} on the Lords for both minster and school master.
9. That one of the {payments} of Each Year shal be made one the premisses, by {which} the Treasurer wil be invited to a sort of a Visitation on the place, and the {Tenants} be obliged to prepare a Suitable reception and {intertainment} of the Treasurer & such as may accompany him, {which} must be moderate.
10. That the Residue of the money may be laid out on these Lands, and upon that an {advancement} on the rents at 5 {pounds} {no shillings}. This is {proposed} because I have no view of making any purchase the else where that wil yeild an Equal Income, and we are obliged to lay out the whole in [?] [illegible Lands.
11. That while we have Opportunity to Lay out the money Remaining to good advantage, it be improved the best it may for the present.
