Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1681-85. 363

To the Kings most Excellent Majesty
The humble Petition of Charles Lord Baltemore.

Sheweth
That your Petitioner haveing received your sacred Majesty's
letter bearing date the 8^th day of February last and finding
therein (to your Petitioners unspeakable griefe and affliction)
your Majestie's high displeasure as well upon a complaint
made by M^r Nicholas Badcock your Majesty's late Comptroler
& Surveyor of your Customes in this Province as likewise
upon a letter of your Petitioners of the 7^th of June last to the
Commissioners of your Majesty's Customes. Your Petitioner
doth most humbly pray and beseech your most sacred Majesty
to permit him to offer to your princely consideration something
by way of extenuation of the transgression which your Peti-
tioner doth acknowledge himselfe guilty of. When the said
Badcock came to your Petitioner for assistance against rich^rd
Sheppard commander of the S^t George of London, Edward
Tarleton master of the Freeman of Liverpool and Alexander
Dennet master of the Dolphin of Poole, your Petitioner not
having seen your Majesty's Order in Councill of the 16^th of
February 1680. nor ever permitted by your Majesty's Col-
lector or Comptroler here the perusal of any of their In-
structions from the Comm^rs of your Majesty's Customes,
and the said Badcock having suffered a month almost to
passe afore he came for assistance against the said Shep-
pard who arrived in this Province, and was entred the
23^fd of April 1681.: when as Dennet arrived and was entred
the 14^th and Tarleton the 17^th of May 1681. This & your
Petitioner not having by him the Act of Parliament made in
the 25^th year of your Maj^tys reign, entituled an Act for the better
secureing the Plantation trade, was the only reason your
Petitioner made that difficulty, and did deny the said Badcock
assistance, which your Petitioner ought not to have don. And
upon your Petitioner's receipt of a letter in December last from
the Comm^rs of your Majesty's Customes, bearing date the
19^th of September 1681. (in which was sent to your Petitioner
your Majesty's order in Councill of the 16^th of February 1680.
the which your Petitioner had never received afore. Your
Petitioner was extremely sensible of his error, and transgression
which was not wittingly nor knowingly committed by your
Petitioner. And whereas the said Badcock did further inform
your Majesty's Commissioners that he had bin ordered to
appeare before the Councill here, 'tis most certainly false as
your Petitioner has already presumed to signify at large to Sir
Lionel Jenkins your Majesty's principall Secretary of state, as
also what the said Sheppard, Dennet, and Tarleton exported
out of this Province that summer.

P. 14. 0.

Colonial
Papers.