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Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1676-1678. 139
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Submitt themselves & all that is deare to them to be disposed
of by the votes of the ffreemen that have nothing, & that can
as easily carry themselves out of the reach of Lawes by them-
selves made, to the prejudice of the ffreeholder as change
their Cloaths Wee doe promise to propound the case of the
indigent ffreeman to his Lordpp att his returne, & to offer him
such reasons & motives as may incline him to permitt the
next Election to be made by the Votes of all the ffreemen
indifferently, this is all that lyes in our powers to doe in this
case, & this we doubt not but to Obtaine from his Lordshipp,
if the quiett demeanour of the ffreemen in the interim doe but
concurr with our Endeavours, to Oblige his Lordshipp to have
a favourable regard of their Interests.
The last part which concernes the poore ffreemans paying
equall Taxe with the rich, we must needs looke upon as a
peice of Sophistry, imposed upon the credulous ffreemen by
some malignant Spiritt, who Repines that he cannot as well
Cheate the publique of the ffreemans Leavy, as he hath
beguiled the ffreeman out of his Crop. What ffreeman is itt
that ever paid for more then his own head? & what rich man
is itt that hath not paid for every Servant & Slave he hath ?
but put the case itt be hard the poore ffreeman should pay as
much for his head, as the Rich man doth for his owne head,
why must my Lord or his Governor & Councell beare the
blame of this which my Lord himselfe cannot helpe without
the consent of an Assembly ? If the Wisdome of future
Assembly shall thinke fitt to alter the way of paymt of the
Publique Taxes hitherto continued in this Province in Vir-
ginia & indeed in all the Governmts in the West Indies Wee
dare undertake for his Lordshipp that he shall consent to itt.
And itt will be a thing extreamly pleasing to him to finde that
mans labour is not the sole Riches of his Province, & that our
Riches from transitory are now become Reall & permanent
That this happy day may once arive hath bin the long &
unwaryed Endeavour of my Lords deceased ffather And we
dare boldly promise will be the constant Employ of my Lord
that now is. Our helping hand shall never be wanting to
procuring the peace & plenty of every individuall in the
Province, which truly consists in the due preservacon of his
Lordshipps rights & the Protection of the People in their just
Right of libertyes To both these as Judges we are indifferently
sworne, & to each part of our dutyes we hold our selves
equally Obliged And therefore we doe protest in the sight of
God & men, as we are resolved not to see the least part of his
Lordshipps right diminished without his Lordshipps consent,
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Lib. R. R.
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nor any of his Lawes slighted Or contemned, so we will
unfainedly mediate with his Lordpp & the next Assembly for
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p. 109
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