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

Liber K.

To his Excellency Lionel Copley Esq^r Cap^t Gen^l & Gov^r in

Chief of the Province of Maryland & to the rest of the honble
Council
The humble Petition of W^m Morris
Most humbly sheweth
That your Petitioner was ordered to give Bond for his
appearance & to pay his Fees which accordingly I did & have
summoned some Evidences which is my poor Children &
Neighbours which is to their utter ruin by long stay & I would
desire they may be heard what they can say in my Behalf as
to my innocency therefore most humbly pray that my Chil-
dren & Neighbours may be heard for by their Long stay it
will prove their utter ruine
And your poor petitioner shall ever pray &c

p. 246

Referred to Coll^o Nehemiah Blakiston & Thomas Tench Esq^r
& they are hereby desired and empowred to Examine & En-
quire into the state & Condition of the pet^r & what the Evi-
dences have to say in his Behalf & to make their Report
to morrow morning to this Board

At a Council held at the City of S^t
Marys the 11^th day of May Anno Dom 1693

Present
His Excellency the Governor

the honble

Coll^o Nea Blakiston
Coll^o Nich Greenberry
Thomas Tench Esq^r

Coll^o Cha Huchins
Cap^t In^o Addison

Was then produced & ordered to be read to the Board this
foll^o Letter from the Commissioners of Somerset County of
the 9^th of November last upon which summons issued p Order
of this Board the 21^st December last upon read^g then of said
Letter as well for the said Commsrs as also the grand Iurors
therein mentioned to attend this Board to answer their Con-
tempt—The Letter is as follows viz^t

May it please your Excellency
Wee your most humble Serv^ts the Iustices of Somerset
County having rec'd this day in Court sitting the Inclosed
petition & as a duty incumbent thought it most proper with
those Suitors likewise to render an acco^t of the sundry Inform-
ations annexed with our own Sentiments viz^t the said M^r
Green & M^r Barkstead since their arrival in this County by
their misdemeanors have highly Disobliged many of the good

p. 247

People thereof Usurping a power to themselves without either