xxxii Introduction.

Assembly that authority be granted for the erection of a chapel of ease in
this parish near Mr. Henry Leek's (pp. 208, 241). The Lower House referred
this petition for the consideration of the next Assembly (pp. 208, 241, 243).

A bill which had its origin in the Upper House was passed by that house at
the close of the session. It was entitled "an act for dividing All Saints' Parish in
Frederick County and for erecting a Chapel of Ease there into a Parish Church"
(p. 221). After one reading in the Lower House it was rejected (pp. 318-319).
The correspondence of Governor Sharpe shows that the bill was defeated in
the Lower House because some of the burgesses from that county were not in
favor of the proposed dividing line (Arch. Md. IX, 343, 369, 397, 400). The
division of this large parish was not finally made until the year 1770. The
minister, vestrymen, and churchwardens of All Saints' Parish also petitioned
the Assembly to grant authority to the justices of that county to raise a sum
not exceding two hundred thousand pounds of tobacco by levies upon the
taxable inhabitants of that parish towards building and completing the church
and chapels in the parish. This petition was also referred to the next Assembly
for consideration (pp. 209, 241, 243). It will be found printed in the Ap-
pendix (pp. 502-504).

A committee of the Lower House, appointed to determine what temporary
laws were about to expire by time limitation, reported that, among others, the
Act of 1756, which made provision for the care of the Acadians or "late in-
habitants of Nova Scotia" and for the regulation of their conduct, had recently
expired. The Lower House thereupon ordered bills to be prepared to revive
all expiring acts except that relating to the Acadians (pp. 239, 241). At the
November-December 1758 session there had been presented a petition of "the
Inhabitants of Nova Scotia Praying relief", but no action was taken on it
(pp. 51, 101). These unfortunate people, who had by this time in great part
either died, left the Province, become servants, or been absorbed in the general
population, were no longer a group problem which made continuing legisla-
tive relief imperative, and were thereafter ignored (Arch. Md. LV, li).

It was at this session that the question of the removal of the county seat
of Baltimore County from Joppa on the Gunpowder to Baltimore Town on
the Patapsco first came before the Assembly for consideration. It was brought
up in the form of "the Petition of the Inhabitants of Baltimore County Praying
a Bill may be brought in enabling the Justices of said County to sell the present
Court House and a Prison at Joppa, and to Buy Convenient Ground in Baltimore
Town to build a new Court House and Prison therein, and the Counter Peti-
tion thereto .... of divers and sundry Inhabitants of Baltimore County
praying that the Petition of the Inhabitants in and near Baltimore Town be
Rejected" (pp. 207, 235). These petitions had been read first in the Upper
House and referred to the lower chamber for consideration (p. 207). By a
vote of 24 to ii in the Lower House, action upon them was deferred until
the next meeting of the Assembly (p. 236). Sundry inhabitants of George
Town in Frederick and Prince George's counties (now in the District of
Columbia) petitioned the Assembly to amend the provisions of the act estab-
lishing that town in so far as it related to the improvement of lots (pp. 209,
241).