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- CHAPTER 1.
ATTAI\-3f1:\T (IF ('ITI'ZE\S,IIII' I\ \IARYI,A\I).
The liberal Charter of llarvland seems not to have contemplated that
,Iny save English citizeils would be citizev.s of the Colon, and so co
nta.ilis
no mention of aliens. To - `all -and singular, the subjects and liege-men
of tls,
our heirs and successors,,= transplanted, or hereafter to be transplanted
into
the Province aforesaid; and the children of them and of others, their
descend-
ants" are granted "all franchises, and liberties of this our
Kingdom. of En;land" and they are to remain English citizens. '1 'o .lake
them citizens of the Colon-, -no procedure seems to have been thought
lleces-
sary, and the privileges- of citizenship were made extensive by a clause,
requirin; the -` advice, assent, and approbation of the free men" to all
laws.
The Colonists, however. ; thought something more than mere English
birth was needed and, at the-secmrd session of tile Colonial Assembly, on
March
16, 103'7,' passed a Bill "for swearing alle-eance to onh Soveraigne, &c."
This bill is lost. like all the others for that session.' Oil the very
second day
of the third session, February 20, 1638, a bill was read "for sNvearing
allege-
ance to the King.":° It wa-s read a second time on March 2, but did not
reach
a third reading. Oil the last day of the session, however, an Act was passed
-~ ordaining certain Laws for the Government of the Province,"4 the second
section of which is, that - All Inhabitants of this Province shall take an
oath
of Allegeance to his 11la.jestie;" and this oath, Bozman thinks, was to be
the
same as the one in the act which failed to become a law.' In support of this
vieĢ=, lie refer, to the fact tjlzt the Governor and Council, on March 20,
1038.
took " the Oath of Allet-iance, as it is Recorded in the Bill of tile last
Assellibly, intituled an act for Swearing Allegiance."" This oath differs
from
that prescribed by ~1ct of Parliament in several important particulars, as
Bozlnan points out. so that it milo;llt be easier for Roman Catholics to
take it.7
(1) The references to Assetnhl." are tot lie published volumes of Md.
Archives. .assembly 1, pp. 1:>--:'0.
i:2) Save Claiborne's Attainder.'
(3) Assembly 1. pp. 34, 37, :39, 40.
(4) Assembly 1. p. c3,
in1 Bezman, History of )Id.. 11. 1). 711.
iG) ltd. At-chives, Council I. It. 8:,.
I7) Theoath reas: I, A. 13.. doe truelc acknowledge, professe, testifie and
declare in conscience before God and
the World, that our Soy-eraigne Lord Kiu;c Charles is lawfull and rightfull
Kingof England, and of all other his Majesties
Dominions and Countries, and I will bear true faith and alleeeance to his
\Iajestie his heirs and lawfull successors and
him and them will defend, to the uttermost of me power, against all
conspiracies and such attempts whatsoever which
shall be made against his or their Crowne or dianity. and shall and will
doe my best endeavour to disclose and make
known to his Majestic. his heirs and lawfull successors. all treasons and
traiterous conspiracies which I shall know, or
heare, to be intended against his Majestie. his heirs and lawfull
successors. .and I doe make this recognition and ac-
knowledgement heartily. willingly and tritely. upon the faith of a
Christian. So help the God.-Assetnl)iy I, p. 40.
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