Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1752. 549

it in the Old Building and contracted with the said Barnes to
pay him for Each New Pew 400 £w^t of Tobacco after the
building thereof And your Petitioner further sheweth that
when the said Pews were finished the Vestry of the ai^d Parish
by Advertisement in Writing gave Notice to the af^d Parish-
ioners that they would meet on the fourth day of June 1750
and dispose of the af^d new Pews by Lott & at the time ap-
pointed for the disposing of the said Pews the Parishioners
met and the Doors being open sundry of them went into the
Church But the Vestry ordered All of them to withdraw and

Lib. C. B.

having cleared the Church of the said People shut up the
Doors, and Each of the said Vestry proceeded to chuse a Pew
for himself which he thought most convenient and commo-
dious and then acquainted the Parishioners that They and
Each of them had chosen a Pew for himself and would proceed
to dispose of the remaining Pews, and accordingly did proceed
to dispose thereof allowing One Pew to Two Families and
exacting for Each Pew 550 £w^t although It was built at the
Expence only of 400 £w^t of Tob^o And your Petitioner further
sheweth that the Parishioners of the said Parish being very
numerous and the said Vestry taking Each for himself an
entire Pew many of the said Parishioners who have contrib-
uted to the Charge and Expence of building the aforesaid
Addition and repairing the Old Church have no Benefit or
Convenience thereby which Proceedings of the aforesaid
Vestry your Petitioner conceives are arbitrary & unjust and
therefore on behalf of himself and other the Parishioners oi
the said Parish He Humbly prays that your Honours will take
the Premises into your Consideration and give such Redress
as shall consist with Justice and Equity
And your Petitioner shall pray.
Signed by 45 Persons

Ordered hearing on Monday the 22^d Instant and that Notice
be given to the Vestry to attend at that time and that the
Vestry have a Copy of the Petition

At a Council held in the Council Chamber on Monday the
22^d June in the 2^d year of his Lordps Dominion Annoq Domini

1752
Present

The honourable Benjamin Tasker Esq^r President

P. 486

Upon reading the Petition of Robert Blunt preferred to this
Board at their last Meeting, and Both Parties being this Day
heard, It is the Opinion of this Board that although the Vestry

p. 487