no longer seek tenants for their lands.  On the contrary, they found that men desiring land would come to them and offer to pay not only the regular seigneurial dues, but an entry fee or bonus in addition.  The best situated lands, in other words, had acquired a margin of value over lands not so well situated, and the favoured seigneurs turned this to their own profit.  During the early pears of the eighteenth century, therefore, the practice of exacting a prix d’entree became common; indeed it was difficult for a settler to get the lands he most desired except by making such payment.  As most of the newcomers could not afford to do this they were often forced to make their homes in unfavourable, out-of-the-way places, while better situations remained untouched by axe or plough.

The watchful attention of the intendant Raudot, however, was in due course drawn to this difficulty.  It was a development not at all to his liking.  He thought it would be frowned upon by the king and his ministers if properly brought to their notice, and in 1707 he wrote frankly to his superiors concerning it.  First of all he complained that ’a spirit of business speculation, which has always more of cunning and chicane than of truth and righteousness in it,’ was finding its way into the hearts of the people.  The seigneurs in particular, he alleged, were becoming mercenary; they were taking advantage of technicalities to make the habitants pay more than their just dues.  In many cases settlers had taken up lands on the merely oral assurances of the seigneurs; then when they got their deeds in writing these deeds contained various provisions which they had not counted upon and which were not fair.  ‘Hence,’ declared the intendant, ’a great abuse has arisen, which is that the habitants who have worked their farms without written titles have been subjected to heavy rents and dues, the seigneurs refusing to grant them regular deeds except on onerous conditions; and these conditions they find themselves obliged to accept, because otherwise they will have their labour for nothing.’

The royal authorities paid due heed to these complaints, and, although they did not accept all Raudot’s suggestions, they proceeded to provide corrective measures in the usual way.  This way, of course, was by the issue of royal edicts.  Two of these decrees reached the colony in the due course of events.  They are commonly known as the Arrets of Marly, and bear date July 11, 1711.  Both were carefully prepared and their provisions show that the royal authorities understood just where the entire trouble lay.

The first arret went direct to the point.  ’The king has been informed,’ it recites, ’that there are some seigneurs who refuse under various pretexts to grant lands to settlers who apply for them, preferring rather the hope that they may later sell these lands.’  Such attitude, the decree went on to declare, was absolutely repugnant to His Majesty’s intentions, and especially ’unfair