138 Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1667-75.

P. R. O.

Colonial
Papers.

Country calls them Delicats, for thy gladly com to sutch
Christenings at S^t Marys, where there is good cheere made,
and the poore Country payes every time, one two or more
hundred thousand pounds of tobacco for it. For there is many
Items: and item for chancellors fees; item secretary fees etc:
and the more Assemblies the oftner it goes about, all dae thy
nothing els, but augment fees uppon fees, and continue tem-
perary lawes as thy call them,
Now when these are confined in a room together, thy are
called the lower house and the provintiall Court men in an
other chamber, stiles themselves the upper house, and pre-
scribes what the lower house is to consent unto, which iff any
grummeles at, then perswadinge spirits goe forth, and if any
stands out or up for the comon good, frowns and treathnings
scares them to be quieth right or wrong: and this thy call Acts
of Assembly, but the Country calls them, dissemblings, and
abreptive procured Acts. These Acts must bee first over and
above send into England to the proprietary there, (and why
not then to the Kings Majesty) and what Hee then doth not
relish is of no force, but his selfe interest irrevocable and per-
petuall which causes the Assembly now to act for the most part
temporary for 3 years or the next Gen^ll Assembly, and thus
doeinge and undoeinge is the reason the Country can never
com to any Estability the one not dareinge trust the other. And
now pray where is the liberty of the freeborne subjects of Eng-
land and owr priviledges in Maryland, the Lord proprietary
assums and attracts more Royall Power to himselfe over his
Tennants then owr gratious Kinge over his subjects in Engl^d,
and therefore charge the Lord proprietary with Breach of
Charter, who gives him noe warrant to deal with the King's
Majesty's subjects in Maryland so deceitfully, as further
appeared by the sheriffs, which my Lord puts in and out, when,
whome and howe long him pleased, contrary to the custom of
England and is direct repugnant, as it is also against two
express Acts off Assembly, A^o 61. and 62. wherin the Comm^rs
of every Country where to present. 7 persons every Martch,
out of which the Governor was to choose one every year and
no longer.
But in corns a greater consequence, the proprietary with
his familiars houlds forth, that Hee is an absolute prince in
Maryland, with as absolute prerogative Royall Right and
Power as owr gratious souveraigne in England, and according
to that, thy set their Compass to steere by and governe by:
But wee replye, that iff it is not within the compass of treason,
to saye so, sure it is to acte so, for what els sygnifyed, that my
Lord Baltemore puts himselfe in equall computation with his
Court of Armes, next to the Kings Majesty in the great mapp