| Lib. R. R.
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the Expensive warre against the Sasquehannoughs last yeare
And whether he sought not all meanes of pacification that
could stand with his honour & the safety of the People before
he Engaged in itt. What reason then have the People to
repine att their being protected? unlesse they value not their
owne lives att the rate the Proprietary himselfe Values the
meanest of the People. If the Taxe continue this yeare tis the
same necessity of defending the People that causes itt, & the
paying for the building of the State house three yeares since
ordered & begun by consent of an Assembly in a tyme of our
greatest peace & plenty that Encreases itt. And the mutiny
& Rebellion of Davis & his Complices that hath Swolne itt
beyond the Expectation of us all. And as we can with truth
say, that there is not one of us whether Governor or Coun-
cellors nay not the Propry himselfe when in the Province that
paid not his equall proportion of the Levy even for his owne
person as well as for every one of his Servants; so we dare
any man, nay the whole world to name one of us to whom his
Lordpp when Governor or since hath given any Gratuity of the
publique Levy. The People themselves in their Delegates &
Representatives are now eye wittnesses of the necessary
charges of the Province, & Auditors ef the Accounts so that
we cannot but hope they will Endeavour themselves & unbe
guile the People, & rest satisfied in the security they enjoy in
their persons by the Expence of their Goods; & by their
quiett demeanour Oblige the Governor & Councell to beleive
that there will be noe further need of Expensive forces to
compell men to enjoy the fruites of their owne labours in
Peace & Tranquility. As to the votes of ffreemen who have
neither lands nor visible personall Estate, in the Eleccon of
Delegates for the Assembly wee doe say, that as the Lord
Proprietary can call Assemblys by his Patent whensoever &
in what manner to him shall seeme most fitt & convenient, Itt
is no wonder that he should chuse this as the fittest & most
convenient manner, & most agreeable to the Lawe & Cus-
tome of England For what man in England can be admitted
to the Election of Parliament men that hath not a visible
Estate in land or Goods? nay are there not infinite numbers
concluded in Parliament without vote in the Elections, though
they have great Estates both in land & Goods ? as namely all
unmarryed women be their Estates in lands never so great, &
all both men & women living out of Corporations, haveing no
Estates in land be their Personall Estates never so consider-
able. This we say as to the point of reason & lawe But if itt
be thought an unkinde way of proceeding with the poore ffree-
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