Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1681-85. 293

and saith hee is almost assured they were delivered into my
hands, and soe never carryed out of the province. To which

I answer that they were never in my custody nor was it in my
power to stop any mans letters much lesse his Lord^sps. And
if hee did send such letters as hee speaks of, I suppose he has
not forgott to give an accoumpt thereof nor was it difficult for
him to send duplicates thereof by some other conveyance as is
usuall especially seeing hee suspected their intersepcon.
As to his chargeing mee with prowd carriage to west
Country men, new England men, his Lo^ps Officers & himselfe
seeing hee hath instanced in nothing, I cannot possibly under-
stand in what points hee meanes, nor what further to say than
that I have ever carryed myselfe as submissively & dutifully to
his Lo^p and as respectively to the rest as possibly I could and
as the Duty of my office oblidged mee to doe. Whereas his
Lo^pp charges mee with exacting fees from all Masters of ships
and vessells upon their entry and clearing out of the province,
and that a Crowne a vessell is the least they escape with
and that some are forced to make me presents for their
dispatch I deny that I ever demanded or allowed or suffered
any one under mee to demand so much as one penny of any
other master than such as came from other Plantacons, or
produced no certificates from England and soe were oblidged
by Law to enter into Bond of navigacon there for Entry whereof
and for their Bond, Discharge &c: Though I never took
Farthing myselfe I confesse I did suffer my Clerk to demand of
some Masters of small Vessells 2^s 6 and of others where there
was more entrys outwards 5^s But where one M^r paid three
did not. And I can saifely say that all that ever was
received upon such score, did never amount to thirty shillings
in any one yeare since I had the employment. But I am
informed if I had taken what was justly due it would have
amounted to much more. And I doe utterly deny that I
ever deteyned any ship or vessell whatsoever but where I
thought it absolute necessary for the Kings service. And I
doe verily beleive that noe one man breathing will say hee
was ever threatened or stopped by mee, or any under mee
upon any such score as to make mee Presents.
As to what is alleadged against me lor receiveing Certifi-
cates from Masters of ships of their having given Bond in
England, and not suffering them to carry the same to his Lo^pps
Collectors I answer that while his Lo^p was last in England, hee
left his Ladys sonne a very young man to be his Collector, who
trusted the business to a young Irish Fellow imployed by him
as Clerk, and I having occasion to see some certificates which
were said to be left in their hands (without which I could not
perfect my accompt of shipping for your Hon^rs) The Certifi-

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