526                           THE COUNTIES OF MARYLAND

the said Twenty third day of Aprill next Ensueing being St. George's Day as
aforesaid have and enjoy all other Rights benefitts and priviledges Equall
with the other Countys of this Province such as sending Burgesses to As-
semblys haveing County Courts Sherriffe Justices and other Officers and
Ministers requisite & necessary and as used in other Countys of this
Province."

At the time Prince George's County was ejected there were settlements
along the Patuxent nearly up to Laurel but there were few if any settle-
ments on the Potomac side in the vicinity of Piscataway Creek on
account of the presence of the friendly Indians, who had reserved ta
themselves this territory for a permanent abode. There were, however,
settlements or small outposts at the mouth of Eock Creek within the
present limits of Georgetown and along the Anacostia River in the
vicinity of Hyattsville and Bladensburg, and as far up the Northwest
Branch as the present Montgomery line.

Within the next two decades these settlements had extended beyond
the present limits of Prince George's County although they were at that
time within its limits. During these same years the whites began to
settle on the territory formerly claimed by the Indians, who ulti-
mately left the Europeans in undisputed possession.

The first curtailment of territory assigned Prince George's County
occurred in 1748 when the county was reduced to its present limits,,
including the District of Columbia, by Chapters 14 and 15 of the Laws
of Maryland for 1748. According to the first act which was stimulated
by a petition by some of the freeholders in Prince George's County who-
found it inconvenient to attend the County Court at Upper Marlboro, it
was enacted

" That from and after the Tenth Day of December, in the year One thou-
sand seven hundred and forty eight the Land lying at present in Prince
George's County, and contained within the bounds following, viz., by a Line-
drawn from Mattawoman run, in the Road commonly called the Rolling Road,
that leads from the late dwelling Plantation of Mr. Edward Neale, through
the lower Part of Mr. Peter BenVs Dwelling Plantation, until it strikes
Patowmack River, at or near the bounded Tree of a Tract of Land whereon
John Beall, junior now lives (standing on the Bank of the aforesaid River, at
the lower end of the aforesaid BealVs Plantation) then with the River to the
Mouth of Mattawoman Creek, shall be and for ever hereafter deemed as a.
Part of Charles County....."