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

Lib. R. R. R.

His L^sp cannot beleive M^r Blakiston has been served (as he
alledges in his s^d Lett^r) with any Warr^ts or has been threat-
ened in that manner as he has writt, and therefore humbly
beggs that enquiry may be made of such persons as are lately
come from those parts, of whom the truth of all this may be
easily knowne, though it may very possibly be, that he has
been arrested at the Suites of his many Credito^rs it being
knowne to many that he is much in debt, and has been soe for
many yeares.
Coll: Will^m Digges one of his L^sps Collecto^rs is knowne by
severall Eminent M^rchants here to be a pson of soe much
Loyalty as that he would not be guilty of those foule things
laid to his charge, in the said Lett^r And twere to be wished that
M^r Blakiston had at all times exprest his Loyalty to the King
as amply as the said Digges has alwaies done both in Vir-
ginia and Maryland.
Tis not possible for any person that und^rstands the trade
of Maryland to beleive his Maj^tie should be p^rjudiced Severall
thousand pounds, if his L^sps Officers should be as mali-
cious and as wicked as the said Blackiston doth endeavour
by his L^re to represent them, ffor whilest M^r Christopher
Rousby lived, who understood the Office well, and knew as
much as any pson how to make the most of it, there never
was much above one hundred pounds in one yeare reed, by
him, for soe he often declared to his L^sp: 'tis strange therefore
to his L^sp: as also to all Dealers and traders thither that M^r
Blakiston should find out, that it is possible for his L^sps Officers

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by any obstructions which he saies is given by them, to preju-
dice his Maj^tie in soe high a measure, were they soe undutifull
and impudent as to doe it in any matter whatsoever.
But M^r Blakiston takes care to signifie that he doubts he
shall receive little Tobacco this yeare. and gives this as a
reason that his L^sps Officers threaten the Masters of vessells
that in case they pay not the penny p pound duty to them,
they shall be sued and their vessells seized, and yett notwith-
standing this Complaint his L^sp is ready to make it appeare,
that the said Blakiston had received severall thousand pounds
of Tobacco, even afore he had writt that Lett^r and the same had
paid away to his Credito^rs who never had any hopes of being
satisfied by him untill he had obteined his Maj^ties Com^on this
will be prooved if required; soe that M^r Blakiston had noe
other way, this yeare to make up his accompts with the Com^rs
of his Maj^ties customs but by p^rtending greate obstructions
from his L^sps Officers.
What M^r Blakiston has mentioned concerning Maj^r Sewall is
as untrue as the rest of his Let^r for when the said Sewall had
given him notice of Severall Irish Vessells he intended to seize,