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born in Maryland was mentioned as what ought to have been
an insuperable Objection to his Promotion, & then as he had
no Family Connections in the Country nor large Estate here
it was insinuated that he had no Inducement to consult or
promote the welfare & Prosperity of the Province. Having
thus given some of their Dependants their Lesson they
expected no doubt that the Multitude would by such means
be easily brought implicitly to condemn the Step I had taken
& tho they found themselves much disappointed they
answered it seems for the whole People, says Buckingham in
Richard the Third
"Some Followers of mine own
"At lower End o' th' Hall hurld up their Caps
"And some ten Voices cry'd God save King Richard !
"And thus I took the Vantage of those few ;
"Thanks gentle Citizens & Friends quoth I
"This general applause & chearful Shout
"Argues your Wisdom & your Love to Richard."
I have in former Letters given you at large my Reasons
(which you will not I hope forget) why I was extremely
desirous to have another Inhabitant of Annapolis besides Mr
Tasker, Mr Dulany & Mr Bordley a Member of the Council
& why I was more solicitous to have Mr Ridout there than
any one else, I shall not therefore now repeat them but only
say that what hath since pass't here confirms me in my
Opinion of the Propriety of that measure. Who pray are said
to be those Persons of Rank Fortune & superiour Capacity
whose long Course of important Services have gone unre-
warded, if there are any either in or out of the Council who
have devoted so much time to the Business of His Ldp &
his Governt as Mr Ridout hath already done who are better
acquainted with the Constitution or political History of the
Province & have so much Inclination to serve His Ldp, the
Letter Writer would have done well to point Them out &
then His Ldp & Yourself would have been able to judge of
their Merit. " To shew how obnoxious Mr Ridout is there
would it seems according to this Gentleman's Account have
been an Address against him last Session if I had not very
abruptly prorogued the Assembly " A new Mode of Demon-
stration this to appeal to what did not happen & indeed can
now never come to pass. Was the ingenious Writer to be
asked what part of Mr Ridout's Conduct was to have been
the Subject of such Address I wonder what answer he would
give to the question, for if they could have laid to his Charge
any Transaction which he would wish to conceal, wherefore
did they not insert his Name in the Address that was pre-
sented against Mr Darnall & others, I am sure they took time
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