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

P. R. O.

Colonial Pa-
pers, Vol. 21,
No. 65.

the yeare) utterly disowned & quashed to our & their owne

extreme disadvantage, and a cessacon from planting propos'd
as a better and more equall way of removing these pressing
necessities & inconveniences which our unrestrained planting
had brought upon us & them, but as if th^t proposition had been
only intended as a meanes to preserve them from being thought
contumaciously disobedient to yo^r Royall Comands and alto-
gether wanting to their owne preservacOn, & not to be really
concluded on & effectually excused it was by them soone lay'd
by, & forgotten till the Governo^r and Councell of this colony
grieved for ourselves and them, from the contemplacOn of our
mutuall unhappinesse occasioned by their obstinacy, w^ch pre-
venting our better managem^t of the richest Commodity in the
world (once every yeare in our owne hands) did evidently
threaten both us and them w^th extreme poverty, if not with
utter ruine, resolved that we might be wanting neither in
obedience to yo^r Ma^ties Royall Commands, nor to our owne nor
their interest) to solicite them again very earnestly to consider
of theires & o^r owne present condicon involved in mysteries &
Calamities & for their redresse to yield & to conclude of a
totall cessacon from Planting one whole yeare, that by our
experience of that remedy, wee might for the future, bee the
better able to judge of w^t might bee more effectuall for our
mutuall advantage, to w^ch end frequent messages were sent
from the Governo^r & severall of the Councell of this Colony
to those of Maryland & answers return'd but so ineffectuall
that the Governo^r (to prevent so much as in him lay) our &
theires still increasing & more threatening misfortunes tooke
a resolution to goe in person to Maryland & accordingly
accompanied by some of the Councell hee did in the depth
of winter to the very great hazard of his health performe that
journey, & in it dealt so effectually with the Lieut. Gen^ll of
that Province, & others of the most understanding persons
of that Governmen^t by representing to their consideracOn both
theire very great advantage & certaine ruine, depending upon
their well or ill managem^t of themselves & intereste, that they
promised & concluded to do their utmost in their next Assembly
to have a cessacon confirmed by a Lawe for one yeare & were
so just to themselves & us that by theire meanes at an Assembly
held in that Province on the 10^th of April 1666 there passed an
Act Entituled an Act for encouragem^t of Trade, whereby it
was prohibited to all or any person or persons within the s^d
Province to plant any Tobacco in the yeare 1667, provided the
Assemblies of Virg^a or Carolina made the like Act, & amongst
other things in the s^d Act conteined, certaine Commiss^rs were
therein nominated & impowered to meete & treate with other
Comm^rs to bee chosen & impowered by the respective Assem-
blies of Virg^a & Carolina of the best & most effectuall meanes