Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1692-1694. 415

not had an oppertunity of giving your Lordships any Acc^t of

Affairs in these parts neither indeed hath any thing of moment
offered worthy your considerations till of Late since the
arrivall of S^r Thomas Lawrence their Majestys Secretary for
this Province who hath given us occasion to render your Lord-
ships the following Acco^t particularly of himself and his pro-
ceedings here, how far they are pursuant or consonant to his
Commission and Instructions we humbly refer to your Lord-
ships better Iudgment and Determination soon after his
arrivall here he applyed himself to us their Majestys Governor
& Councill of this Province, and produced his Commission and
Instructions relating to his Office To which we readily yielded
all due respect and he was accordingly admitted and sworn
Secretary, one of the Councill, and Iustice of the Provinciall
Court since which without having given any Security for the
due and true Peformance and Execution of his Office of so
great trust and moment according to the custom and usage
of this and others their Majestys Collonys and Plantations as
was required of him fully to Capaciate himself for that Office
he hath presumed of himself to exercise his Authority in
manner foll viz^t

Liber K.

In the first Place having made diligent scrutiny and Inquest
and by that means throughly informed himself of the annual
pquisits of the ten respective Clerks places of this Province he
hath taken and seized into his hands three of the best & most
Principal places managed by the most expert able and choice
Clerks men who had faithfully and diligently served their Maj-
estys been obedient to the Government and well Behaved
themselves in their places to the generall Satisfaction of the
Country whom he hath discarded upon no other reason or
pretence whatsoever (that himself can or doth alledge then his
own power and perogative to make a vacancy and supply the
same when and as he pleases one of the said Places he has
conferred upon his Son under Age to be managed for him by
a deputy whom he brought with him for that purpose another
of them he hath conferred upon another of his creatures he
brought in with him to be also managed by a Deputy as not
at present capable of Officiating himself & on the third he
hath laid a reserve for whom it is not yet Certainly known
but as is generally reported and given out to be executed by
some mercenary person for his own private use & Benefitt
altho himself at his arrivall was pleased to declare that no
Person was to be employed in any of the said Places that cou'd
not officiate himself in Person for deputys were in no wise
(according to his Instructions) to be allowed of and under
that. Pretence with his own Authority aforesaid displaced the
three afores^d most Considerable Clerks others of the old

p. 97