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

Liber R.

upon us with the Northern Indians and therefore advise all
prudent wayes to keepe peace with them till another treaty
may be had with their old men, but that all prudent care may

be taken to hold a good correspondency with the Pascattoways
by some appearance in armes about their ffort (to doe them
noe good at all) because they add in the next words (viz) but
noe act of hostility to be done to the Northern Indians unless
forced thereunto in their owne Defence or in Defence of any
attempt made upon our owne People & Plantations ffinding this
to be the temper of the Lower house and well knowing the inso-
lency of the Enemy would at last lead him into blood shed if
the Patience of the English would any longer beare plunder
and outrage, w^ch could not be expected Wee thought it high
time to bring our consults to some issue, and betake our
selves to some ways of reall Defence, and therefore we writt
to our two houses the 10^th of September and commanded Our
Chancelo^r to lett them understand the true state of all our
negotiations with the Northern Enemy, how little treatys and
Articles with them signified without force to obleige them to
stand to their Covenants, and to protest to them that if the
lives of any of his Maj^ties Subjects were lost by these dilatory
proceedings, the blood should not lye upon us, Wee haveing
soe often pressed them to use meanes to prevent it: Upon
this they make a wary Vote offering their persons and Estates
to our service in a warr against these Northern Indians but
limitt it with the words And that to be raised by such method
and ways as in the last Act for the Defence of the Province
(noe other being then provided) nothing doubting but that
Wee would take such due care that by any unnecessary and
exorbitant charges of such warr it may not become more
oppressive grevious and burdensome then the frequent rob-
beryes and spoyles that are and may be committed by the
aforesaid Northerne Indians. By this it was clear to us, the
Lower house would be Judges of the Necessity of the charge,
and would be raisers of the money for defraying of that
charge after the same was incurred, soe that we might be left
to pay the whole charge of the Warr if we began n any (though
never soe necessary) out of our owne private Estate. The
12^th September Our Upper house (more sensible of the dan-
ger) passed a bill for Defence of the Province, and sent it to
the Lower house for their Concurrence, in requiteall of which
they press private Bills upon the Upper house, and are soe
concerned for them that they send message upon Message to
know what is become of them, but give noe answer to the
Bill for Defence of the Province. The 13^th September fresh
advice comeing of new injurys committed by the Northern
Indians Our Lower house say they will perfect the Act for