110 Assembly Proceedings, August—September 1681.

U. H. Journal
1659-98

suit with us touching the Important Affairs of Our said Prov-
ince Given at Our City of S^t Maries under the Great Seal of
Our said Province of Maryland, the fifteenth Day of August
in the Sixth Year of Our Dominion over Our said Province &^t
Annoq Domini 1681

Jdem Mutatis Mutandis to Col William Stephens they both
Appear and produce their Respective Writts the Same also
issued to Col Henry Darnall.

George Talbott
William Digges

Esq^rs

p. 292

His Lordship in the Presence of both houses Jntimate the
Occasion of their Convention at this time thus Viz^t—

Gentlemen
Jt has been Generally believed, and by Several Persons
often affirmed that the frequent Meeting of Assemblies has
been very Burthensome and Chargeable to the Province and
if I mistake not Such Charges as were Occasioned by Assem-
blies only were the Chief Motives and Pretexts, that Davis and
his Complices had for their Defection from the Government in
the late Rebellion that happened at the Cliffs
The Clamours therfore of Such Busie Malicious fellows as
those and my Own willingness to avoid all Charges on the
Inhabitants that were not of Absolute Necessity, Occasioned
me to forbear Calling You together so Soon as otherwise J
should have done, And truely had there not been some Mur-
ders and other Outrages Committed this Summer by Indians
that as yet we have not fully Discovered, I should not have
given You the Trouble of this Meeting untill October next
but being Daily Alarmed by the Approaches of Considerable
Parties of Indians that have been Discovered and discoursed
with by Cap^t Rand^o Brandt in Charles County, And very much
Apprehending Some Sudden Attempts by them on the Inhab-
itants, J Conceived it Absolute Necessary you should meet this
Day to the End I might Communicate to You in time the
Urgent and pressing Occasion both I and my Council find of
renewing very Speedily those Articles of Peace and Amity
that were made Some few years Since by Col Henry Coursey
on the behalf of this Province with the Sinecoes These Articles
(as I have been Informed) have never been renewed Since Col
Courseys Return from that Negotiaation which I fear has been
a great Omission in this Government, and may have Occa-
sioned Some disgust or at best Some Jealousie in those Na-
tions that we Value not their friendship, when I am certain
that (at this Iuncture of time) We ought to Seek and highly
Cherish their kindness and friendship for it must be by their