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

P. R. O.

Colonial
Papers.

Wee have been also made acquainted at our Councill Board
with the Complaints insinuated by you against our Trusty and
Welbeloved Christopher Rousby Collector of our Customs in
our said Province as if he had behaved himself in such violent
and unwarrantable manner as tended to the discouragement of
Trade Diminution of our Customs and disturbance of the
Publick Peace; but having for our better Information herein
left the Examination of those matters to the Lords of our Privy
Councill appointed a Committee of Forreign Plantations who
have consulted the Comm^rs of our Customs and heard the said
Rousby upon oath It hath been therefore presented unto us
that you have proceeded in a very unusual manner by charging
the said Rousby with so great enormities in his absence with-
out giving him any notice of those accusations before his de-
parture from Maryland which was well known to you to you at
least four months before he imbarck't nor have you transmitted
any sufficient proofs upon the matters complained of so that
we cannot esteem it any ways agreeable to our Justice to give
any Credit thereunto but do hereby require and command you
to permit the said Rousby peaceably and quietly to execute
his Office, and to afford him all the encouragement therein
which the Law requires And wee do think fitt withal to give
you this caution that if you shall hereafter have any cause of
complaint against the said Rousby or any other person you do
first give him or them a particular charge thereof and receive
his or their answer thereunto and then transmit the said charge
and answer to us with the proofs thereof to the end we may
direct speedy Justice to be awarded according to the merit of
the case. And altho your proceedings abovementioned in the
obstruction of our officers and contempt of our Laws are of
such a nature as that we might justly direct a writt of quo war-
ranto to be thereupon issued out. Wee have nevertheless out
of our great Clemency thought fit for the present only to require
the Comm^rs of our customs to charge you with the payment of
the said summ of 2500^lb and to cause a demand to be made
from you for the same and that you adjusting of what shall
appear to be truly due to us to cause the same to be passed by
you to our Receiver General and Cashier of our Customs for
the time being residing in London.
And wee do strictly command you for the future to take care
that all our Laws relating to the Trade of our Colony and
Plantations be duly observed and put in execution and that all
Encouragement and assistance be given to the severall Officers
of our Customs under your Government And so wee bid you
farewell. Given at our Court at Whitehall the 8^th of Feb^ry in
the 34^th year of our Reign.
By His Ma^ts Command &c:
Jenkins.