Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1694 97. 125

   if vpon Examination of his Books or otherwise there Appeare Lib, H. D.

   to be Cause, that you suspend him and imploy some able

   trusty person in his stead, tis farther Ordered from Vs and as

   anything may occurr to you concerning the behaviour of the

   other Officers in Maryland necessary for our information Wee

   shall desire to heare from you

             Wee are Sr    Yor humble Servants

   Custom house 23th of          Jo: Werden

   ffebry 1692                   Robert Southwell

   Directed                      Pat: Ward

    ffor the Honorl              Robert Clayton

   ffrancis Nicholson Esqr Governor

   of their Mats Colony of

               Maryland.

   Commis-5r

     ers of the Custom Being informed from the Commissionrs of their

   house Letter Mats Duties of ffour and halfe per Cent in the Island

   t hi E ncie

   touching of Barbados, that the Tobacco imported thither from

   Tubs Ex- Virginia, Maryland & other Northern parts in

   purtrdhCnce

   to the plan- America doth occasion great trouble & Charge to

   tacdns their vnder Officers in the Weighing thereof Because

   the Certificates mentioning the paymt of the penny p pound

   Express only the Numbers of hogsheads, Bundles or Trusses

   without either the Weight of each particular hogshead or the

   Weight of the whole parcell contained in such Certificate,

   thereby rendring the said Officers incapable to Discover any

   fraud to their Mats prejudice in the short payment of the said

   penny p pound which Duty by some former instances hath

   been frequently compounded at little more than halfe Vallue,

   for avoiding of which evill practices for the future and making

   this Examination more easie and certain to the Officers in

   Barbados & other Plantations, Wee desire you will please to

   give particular Instructions to all our Officers within your p. 48

   Governmt that they do not presume to Certifye for any

   greater quantity of Tobo than for which the Duty shall be first

   Answered & paid to them. And that in their Certificates they

   do mention both the Numbers of hogsheads Bundles & Trusses

   and the exact Weight thereof, Wee are Sr

   Custom house Lond°    Yor very humble Servants

   16th March 1693.               Jo: Werden

   Directed thus                  Robt Southwell

    ffor the Honorl               P: Ward

   ffrancis Nicholson Esqr Governor   Robt Clayton

   of their Mats Colony of Maryland