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of Vessels in the Maryland Trade must it seems at particular
Times empty the Jails & by that means it sometimes happens
that they oblige the Masters of their Ships to receive on board
twice the number they ought to bring, little anxious them-
selves of the Consequence to the Inhabitants here, nor very
solicitous whether or no the Crowding too great a Number of
the poor Wretches into a small Compass may not be the
means of destroying some of them. When there are more
Convicts to be sent out than their Ships bound hither will
receive conveniently Let them assign the Surplus to some
other Merchants who will be glad to take them off their hands
or bring them hither for a reasonable Freight, & as only a
moderate Number will then be transported hither in any one
Ship very few will lose their Lives on the Passage & people
here will not have such reason to dread their Arrival. The
Contractors may indeed say that if it is notorious such destruc-
tive Distempers are frequently imported in Convict Ships
why do people by purchasing encourage the Importation of
them, to which it might be answered that there are in all
Societies People that will run all Risks for the sake of making
Profit, but it becomes the Legislature as far as can reasonably
be done to prevent other Persons suffering by the Proceedings
of People of such Dispositions: that the Assembly have by
the Act in Question complimented the Governor with pretty
extensive Power is indeed true but they thought it was neces-
sary to lodge it somewhere & I flatter myself Experience will
teach Mr Ringgold that it is at present in hands that will never
exercise it to distress Trade but only so far as the Welfare of
the Province makes the Exercise of it expedient & absolutely
necessary. That the Act is in some degree defective & rather
too severe I will not deny but it may be amended & I will
recommend it to the Assembly at the next Session to make it
less exceptionable & particularly to appropriate a Sum of
Money for building a Lazaretto. Finding they could not
immediately succeed in their Application for a Dissent Messrs
Sedgley & Co in Bristol have I find furnished their Ship with
a Ventilator which they may be ashamed of not having done
long ago & Messrs Stewart & Campbell have made theirs
quite airy by opening a Range of Ports on each Side between
Decks & by that means it seems the Ships were kept healthy
tho in one of them were imported more than a hundred &
fifty Persons besides the Crew. I observe what you write
with respect to the Reverend Mr Alien whom I have from his
first Arrival here been studious to serve & oblige & am sorry
it has not been in my power to provide for him agreeable to
his Wishes ; that he was not immediately inducted into a more
Valuable Parish than this was entirely owing to Himself for I
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