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be given by the Ministry or others to an Anonymous Pam-
phlet than to the Votes & Proceedings of our two Houses.
From the Pamphlets being taken no Notice of here by the
Upper House or any one on their behalf It soon fell into
Oblivion, nor did the Author think it would be for his honour
or Reputation to acknowledge his Offspring (for he is not yet
known:) & in my Opinion the Publishing an Answer to it
here would answer no other End but to revive useless Disputes
& to furnish some Lover of Mischief among us with an Occa-
sion & Pretence for throwing Dirt on those who are concerned
in the Government or who might be suspected of writing such
answer, & I think a Perusal of the several scurrilous Penn-
sylvania Pamphlets which I lately sent you must have made
you entertain the same Opinion. As to the Affair of the
Ordinary Lycences here I presume it will be now settled &
that there must be necessarily an End to all Contests about
them, since the Stamp Act lately made by the Parliament
directs that if it is not otherwise provided by Act of Assembly
the Governors for the Time being in the several Colonies
shall for the future grant such Lycences, for which I presume
they ought to have a reasonable Fee: in all or most of the
other Colonies a Right to certain Fees for such Lycences has
been confirmed to the Governors by Act of Assembly, & if
our Assembly does not choose to settle them by an Act The
Governor may I suppose himself regulate his Price keeping
within the Bounds of Moderation: but I should be very glad
to know his Ldp's farther Pleasure with respect to this matter,
for as the abovementioned Act of Parliament hath been made
since he was pleased to write to me the 7th of February I pre-
sume the abovementioned Clause in that Act might induce
His Ldp to supercede or make some Alteration in his Instruc-
tion: & as I have hinted it would give me great Satisfaction
to know his final Resolution before the Meeting of our
Assembly which stands prorogued to the Beginning of October,
the small Pox which has been in Town ever since February &
still continues here having laid me under the Necessity of pro-
roguing them to that time. You say that you think Mr Bacons
Edition of the Maryland Laws will not answer because he has
only given the Titles of the Acts pass't by the Lord Caecilius,
but I apprehend you will be of a different opinion when you
find that such Acts as he only gives the Titles of are not at
this time in force having been since either repealed or
reenacted & will be satisfied that in printing at large all the
Acts which are now in force he gives us all that was necessary
at least it is my Opinion that to have published Acts which
have been repealed or are expired would only enhance the
price of the Book without answering any good End whatever.
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Letter Bk. IV
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