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

Liber K.

and publick Affair prays your Petitioner may have a hearing
before your Honours whereby your Petitioner may be relieved
And he shall Ever pray &c^a
W Taylard

The Petitioner according to Summons appearing here this
day is required to make oath to the truth of what he hath
alledged in his above Petition and what else he knoweth con-
cerning the Premises &c^a which he did as follows (viz^t)

The Deposition of William Taylard Clerk of
the Provincial Court of the Province of Maryland
This Deponent saith that in the Month of September last
past S^r Thomas Lawrence Secrety of Maryland together with
Coll Nicholson Deputy Governor came to the Provincial Office
& demanded of this Deponent the Iournall of the house of
Assembly there filed making use of M^r Cheseldines name who
was late Speaker of that House that he had assured them
that the Clerk of that House should make out another
Copy and File with other Arguments used this Deponent
taking S^r Thomas Lawrence to be his Master and keeper of
those Records did deliver the afores^d Iournall to Sir Thomas
Lawrence who immediately delivered it to Coll Nicholson
with Intent to be Carried out of the Province this Deponent
further saith that the Body of the Laws of this Prov^s a Record
was demanded from your Petitioner by Sir Thomas Lawrence
near about the same time and has notwithstanding request of
this Deponent kept the same in his hands till about the fifth
day of this month April 1693 then a Copy of the aforesaid
Iournal & the Book of the Laws were put in amongst this

p. 174

Deponents papers in his private Chamber and not the Office
unknown to him and this Deponent further saith not
April 8 1693 W Taylard
Sworn to before the Gov^r & Councill
J LL Cl Councill

Ordered to be brought & was produced and read Statute the
8^th of Henry the 6^th against imbezzling of Records declared
to be Felony &c^a
His Excellency demands the opinion and advice of the
Councill upon the whole matter
Whereupon they declare that the Articles of Charge drawn
up against him being Evidently & Sufficiently proved & made
appear from the Records of the Councill proceedings, his own

Writings and Papers, together -with other substantial Circum-
stances and Evidences rendring him so highly Criminal
against the Laws & Statutes of England as not to admit of
Bayle