38 Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1681-85/6.

Liber R.

charges of frequent Assemblyes, Wee purposely deferred the
calling of any since our arrivall from England, till necessity of
renewing the Temporary Lawes should obleige us to conveene

One, as may appeare from the last proclamation for Proroga-
tion of the Assembly till such time as the Temporary Lawes
would have expired, but the Northern Indians makeing fre-
quent inroades, and as often plundering some English ffamily
or other in their way to Virginia or to Pascattoway forced us
by Proclamation to conveene the Assembly on the sixteenth
August last to give check if possible to those Evills, and pre-
vent effusion of Christian blood which wee foresaw would
inevitably follow from these beginnings of plunder and rapine.
At the Opening of the Assembly the protection of the Pro-
vince and Defence of the people against these outrages was
the Principall thing wee recommended to the Assembly, and
we had reason to hope they would immediately fall upon soe
important a worke, Especially seeing there were people ready
with Petitions at our Doores to be considered for their losses,
and to be paid by the Publick for what they lost with patience
for the common good rather then to hazard the beginning a
war with the Northern Plunderers; Two Dayes we patiently
expected, judgeing the two houses were settling their ord^rs and
then (to witt) 19 August we received an Address from the
Lower house which was soe farr from the matters recom-
mended to them that it was wholly new to the Province, viz^t

p. 269

a Desire of new Officers to be appointed, new members to be
Elected into the Assembly, all tending to foreslow business
and augment charge; the members themselves that delivered
the address confessing that the Assembly then sitting were
sufficient and sufficiently Empowered to Enact Lawes without
any addition of members, there being then Delegates from
Every County present in the house as many as are sent from
any County in England: All this while the Enemy lay at our
Doores, and noe reason could suggest any thing but Danger
of blood shed and warr, And to prevent it The Upper house
by our ord^r sent to the Lower house to know whither they
had any Bills in hand that required their Concurrence or
Advice in the drawing them, but the Lower house send for
answer to their Address, refuse conference about their privi-
ledges, wave the consideration of the Defence of the Province
though daily pressed to it by the upper house till 23^th Aug^t at
which day the Upper house pressing to have a member of the
Lower house to be joyned with One of the Upper house to
goe treate with the Northern Indians at Zachaja (who then
lay hovering over us and the Pascattoways watching whom
they might with most ease devour) The Lower house refused
to joyne; The same day again wee ordered our Chancelo^r to