Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1676-81. 267

To the: 15: I doe not knowe of any salt peter produced or
produceable in this Provynce.
As: to the: 18: 19: 20: 26: & 27: All that I am able to
answer is ffirst That whereas in many other parts of America
They refuse (out of covetousness) to permitt their Negros and
Mulatto's to be Baptised Out of an Opynion That Baptisme is
a Manumission from their services and consequently the same
thing as to the Dammage of the Masters and Owners as if
their said servants were actually Dead.—And this Opynion
beginning to take place in this Provynce a Law was made to
encourage the Baptizeing of them By which it was and is
declared That as in former tymes The Baptizeing of Villaynes in
England was not taken by the Lawe of England. To be a
Manumission or Infranchiseing of the Villaynes soe neither
shall it be in this Provynce as to Negroes or Mulattoes and
there have been found good effects from this Lawe all Masters
generally since the makeing of this Lawe haveing beene
willing to Instruct those kynde of Servants in the ffayth of
Christ and to bring them to desyre and receive Baptisme.
Secondly that haveing as yett no farther Division of the said
Provynce.Then into Countyes Nor in Truth any possibility of
makeing as yett any farther subdivisions into Parishes for the
Reasons before given There is no way to be found to make
calculations to satisfy theis Inquiryes (in case I were upon the
place) without takeing a very great tyme And makeing such
scruteinyes as would certaynly either endanger Insurections or
a Generall Dispeopling of the Provynce w^ch is at present in
great peace and Quiett all persons there beinge secured to
their content for a quiett enjoyment. Of every Thing that they
cann Reasonably desyre. The Reason why such scruteinyes
would be thus Dangerous is that viz^t That at the first planteing
of this Provynce by my ffather Albeit he had an Absolute
Liberty given to him and his heires to carry thither any Persons
out of any the Dominions that belonged to the Crowne of
England who should be found Wylling to goe thither yett
when he came to make use of this Liberty He found very few
who were inclyned to goe and seat themselves in those parts
But such as for some Reason or other could not lyve with ease
in other places And of these a great parte were such as could
not conforme in all particulars to the severall Lawes of
England relateing to Religion Many there were of this sort of
People who declared their Wyllingness to goe and Plant
themselves in this Provynce soe as they might have a Generall
Toleraccon settled there by a Lawe by which all of all sorts
who professed Christianity in Generall might be at Liberty to
Worshipp God in such Manner as was most agreeable with
their respective Iudgm^ts and Consciences without being subject

P. R. O.
Colonial
Papers.
B. B.