Introduction. xxxiii

It would appear that Jonas Green, the Provincial printer, had been obliged
to wait a long time for his pay, as it was reported that the act for the speedy
and effectual publication of the session laws and for the encouragement of
Jonas Green of the City of Annapolis, Printer, had expired by time limitation
on December 20, 1758, since which time a number of Assembly publications
had been printed by him (p. 239). A new act of similar tenor continuing pro-
vision for the publication of the session laws and of the Votes and Proceedings
of the Lower House was now passed by both houses (pp. 326-328).

After the failure of the two houses to agree upon the passage of any bills
of importance, Sharpe prorogued the Assembly on April n, 1760, to meet
again on July 7 following, although it did not actually meet until September 26,
1760. Only eight laws, all relatively unimportant, were passed. Of these five
were acts continuing in force old laws which were about to expire by time
limitation (pp. 321-323). Two local acts were also passed; one already men-
tioned, validated the proceedings of the vestry of Port Tobacco Parish, Charles
County; and the other increased the allowances of certain tobacco inspectors in
Worcester and Dorchester counties (pp. 323-325).

SESSION OF SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1760.

The Assembly met in its fifth session on September 26, 1760. It will be
recalled that at the last session the Governor had prorogued it on April 11,
1760, to meet again on July 7 of the same year, but by successive prorogations
had later postponed its meeting until September 26, 1760 (p. 320; Arch. Md.
XXXI, 408-409).

In the Upper House the attendance was still cut down by the continued
illness of William Goldsborough and Robert Jenckins Henry. The Lower
House after adopting the rules of recent sessions, appointed various standing
committees, and chose the Rev. Alexander Williamson of St. Anne's to read
prayers twice daily. This Alexander Williamson does not seem to have been
the son of the Speaker of the same name who had so recently died. Death had
laid a heavy toll on the members of the Lower House since its last meeting, and
new members who had recently been elected to fill vacancies among the dele-
gates caused by death, now appeared in the house. One of these was that un-
compromising leader of the popular party who was later to play such an
important part as a Revolutionary patriot, Matthew Tilghman of "Bayside",
Talbot County, who had served in former assemblies from 1751 to 1758 as
a burgess from Talbot County, but had not been reelected to the New Assembly
chosen in 1758. He was now returned as a burgess from Queen Anne's, at a
special election held in May 1760, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of
Thomas Harris (p. 353). Probably he had been defeated for reelection in Tal-
bot which was stronger in its adherence to the Proprietary than was Queen
Anne's. Another new member was William Thomas of St. Mary's, elected in the
place of Edmund Key who had gone on a visit to England (pp. 228, 353). The
Speaker on September 26, 1760, was ordered to issue warrants of election
for seats made vacant by the deaths of Philip Hammond from Anne Arundel,
a truculent leader of the Popular party; Alexander Williamson from Kent, a