Assembly Proceedings, Sept. 20-Oct. 18, 1694. 77

the Courts & Assemblyes from this Corner & poorest place of
the province to the Center & best abilitated places thereof;
Although wee conceive the motives there laid downe are
hardly deserveing any Answer at all many of them being ag^t
the plaine matter of ffact some ag^t reason & all ag^t the Gen^ll
good & wellfaire of the province yet because your Ex^ncy has
been pleased to lay them before us wee humbly returne this
our sence of the same, that as to the 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: & 8:
Reasons relateing to what his Lsp: has thought fitt to doe to
the Citty of Sn^t Maries it is noe Rule nor Guide to their
Maj^ties yo^r Ex^ncie nor this house itt seemes in some parts to
reflect on his Lsp more then this house beleives is true or
deserved by his Lsp.
2 As to the 9: this house say that it is ag^t the plain Matter
of ffact for wee can decerne noe Estate either laid out or to
lay out in or about this famous City compareable w^th other
parts of this province But they say and can make appeal that

there has been moore Money Spent here by Three degrees or
more then this City & all the Inhabitants for Tenn Miles
round is worth, And say that haveing had 60^ty od yeares
experience of this place & almost a quarter part of the pro-
vince devoured by it and still like Pharohes Kine remaine as
at first, they are discouraged to add any more of their Sub-
stance to such ill Improvers.
As to the Tenth & Eleaventh wee conceive the being of Sn^t
Maries soe neare Virg^a is not soe great an Advantage to the
Province as the placeing the Courts in the Center & Richest
part of the same which is noe great distance from thence or
Virg^a either and nearer New Yorke & other Governm^ts w^ch
wee have as much to doe with as Virgin^a if not more & the
place as well watered & as Comodious in all respects as Sn^t
Maries w^ch has only served hitherto to cast a Blemish Upon all
the Rest of the province in the Judgm^t of all discerning
Strangers who perceiving the meaness of the head must
Rationally Judge pporconably of the body thereby.
To the 12: 13: & 14: they say that they doe not hold them-
selves accountable to the Mayo^r & his Bretheren for w' they
doe for their Countreys Service nor by what Measures they

Original
Journal.

doe the same nor what time they shall take to doe it in nor
for what Reasons and are & will be as carefull of the Records
& properties of the people as the pet^rs
To the 15^th the house say the pet^rs offer faire as they have
done formerly but never yet performed any & this house
believes that the Gen^ll welfare of the Province ought to take
place of that sugar plum & of all the Mayo^rs Coaches whoe as
yet has not one.
To the 16: this house conceive that the Citty of Sn^t Maries
is very Vnequally Rankt w^th London, Boston, Port Royall &^ca

p. 60