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

P. R. O.
Colonial Pa-
pers, Vol. 21,
No. 65.

overtook us like a Storme and enforced us like distressed
Mariners after wee had long striven against all oppositions
here & beene at three hundred thousand pounds of Tobacco
charge to provide for their and our happinesses to throw our
dear bought commodities into the Sea, when wee were in sight
of our harbour, & w^th them to drown'd not only our present
reliefes but all future hopes of being able, to doe ourselves
good, whiles wee are thus divided & enforced to steere by
anothers compasse whose needle is too often touched with
particular intrest, this unlimited and (as it appears to us)
Independent power and authority of the Lord Baltemore doth
like an impeteuous wind blow from us all those seasonable
showers of yo^r Ma^ties Royall care & favours, & leaves us & his
owne Province weithering & decaying in distresse and poverty
To conclude this unseasonable & unfortunate prohibition of
the cessacon hath not only increased the discontent of many of
the Inhabitants of his Province but hath raised the grief and
anger of almost all yo^r Ma^ties subjects of this collony to such a
hight as required great care to prevent those disturbances
which were like to arise from their eluded hopes & vaine
expenses, and this misfortune had the greater impression upon
us being unexpected by us, because wee knew that the Lord
Baltemore could not be ignorant of the expresse words of that
yo^r Ma^ties Royall instruction viz^t 3^ly whereas wee have been
moved to putt some restraint upon the planting of Tobacco in
that our Colony both for advancing the other Comodities, wee
have recommended to yo^u, & because the price thereof falls so
low by the great quantities brought in from o^r other Plantacons,
that the same in a short time will not be valuable to the Planters
or Man^ure And whereas wee have been likewise moved to
make some order for the Limitting the ships w^ch Trade thither,
that they shall not lade & returne from thence but from &
during some time limitted, at all w^ch debates yo^u have been
present, & in all w^ch our Privy Councell have forborne to give
any Determinacon by reason of the difference of opinions
between the Man^ure & Planters and Masters of Shipps no one
party of w^ch seemes to be of the same minde & opinion, Wee
doe recommend the consideracon & debate of the whole to yo^u
and yo^r Assembly to the end that upon the due deliberacOn of
what is best for that our Colony, (wee meane for the generall
good & future advancement thereof & not the particular
proffitt of a few lesse industrious persons) such good rules
may be established as may bee for the Publique benefitt. And
because what shall be found necessary to be settled in theise
particulars, will require that the same provision be likewise
made in Maryland. Wee doe direct yo^u that some Commiss^rs
bee appointed to treate with others of Maryland to that purpose
& a fitt place agree'd upon for the same. In order whereunto