in the Years 1689-90. 221

trust 'em Butt all mild perswasions failing wee sent for 'em up
to the Upper House which they refused saying if his Lordspp
were there in person they would attend and indeed they
endeavoured all they could to lay asyde yo^r Ldspps Upper
house upon which wee thought of a Dissolution but tryed them
the second time and they refused and the third time and then
they came to whome the president made a short speech
wherein he told them that wee were sorry to find such early
disturbances that the occasion wee sent for them was about
the Oath of Fidelity that Fidelity was Allegiance which by the
Lawes of England might be proposed even to the House of
Comons in Parliament sitting and that the refuseing of Allegi-
ance did imply Rebellion and the like as your Ldspps on
perusall of the Journall will find upon which the Lower House
was desired to return to their House to consider of it for 'till
Complyance in that particuler wee neither would nor could
enter upon arty buisiness Butt all in Vaine they still persisted
upon which wee could not in honour to yo^r Ldspps authority
doe otherwise then maintaine your Lordspp Right and Lawes
in this yo^r Ldspps Dominion for wee were not ignorant of the
fatall consequences hereof if Deniall of Fedelity to yo^r Ldspps
were thus permitted Rebellion might be the next step where-
upon wee resolved to try all Endeavours and accordingly it
being then Saturday in the afternoon we sent for the Lower
House and they came whereafter a few things sayd to 'em by
the President the Assembly was prorogued till the Munday
following and then immediately the Oath was required of
every perticuler Member which after severall Refusealls and
debates they every man tooke except one Thurston a Quaker
who desired to be dispenced with and it was granted him and
on Munday both Houses mett againe to whome the President
made a short speech and soe entred upon Buisness which after-
wards proceeded very amicably and kind even to the end of
the Sessions notwithstanding their grievous paper of pretended
agrievances all which were answered to content as by the
Journall your Lordspps will find and then was pressed the
Buisness about bulk Tobacco though wee dispaired of success
considering the violent repulse it met with in Virg^a yett wee
endeavoured itt all wee could but to noe purpose for all wee
could get from 'em in that affaire was their answere and rea-
sons to the contrary and then we proposed Methods to
improve yo^r Ldspps and peoples Interests in Maryland as by
the Proposeall themselves herewith sent yo^r Ldspps will appear
In which yo^r Lordspps will find divers expressions which
seeme to diminish yo^r Ldspps dues of 2^d p hh to one third less
then at present. But the advantage proposed to yo^r Ldspps
by payment of all your Lordspps Rents and Fines for Alieva-

P. R. O.

Maryland
B. I. Vol. 2,
B. E.