of the Council of Maryland, 1778-1779. 205

[Council to J. Rogers.]

Annapolis In Council 17^th Sept^r 1778
Sir.
We have wrote M^r Hooe that we do not consent to the Sale
of the Gen^l Smallwood, and have desired him to give her up
to you; we request you will bring her to this Place as soon as
possible
We are &^ca
Cap^t John Rogers

[Council to Prest. Laurens]

In Council Annapolis 17^thSept^r 1778
Sir.
Yesterday the Governor received your Letter of the twelfth,
covering the Resolution of Congress of the eleventh Instant.
We are sorry that Congress should esteem any such Resolu-
tion necessary; the End would have been fully answered by
communicating the Information received; the Person who gave
that Information to Congress, could not have the least Reason
to imagine that the same Information to us, would not, without
the Intervention of Congress, have been properly attended to,
nor could he but suppose that the sooner we were apprized of
an Infraction upon the Embargo, the greater the Probability
would be of the Offenders suffering due Punishment. As soon
as we had any Intimation that a Breach of our Act was com-
mitted, vigorous Measures were taken, many outward bound
Vessels were strictly searched, in one of them 32 Barrels of
indifferent Flour, more than we judged necessary was dis-
covered, she is an armed Vessel of considerable Force, is owned
by Gen^t of So. Carolina & S^t Eustatia, she was ordered to load
with Tobacco, the Owners & Consignee, we are satisfied, were
entirely innocent and the Cap^t did not appear to us to be
blameable further than for not having an Eye strict enough on
his Sailors who, we believe, stowed it in the Vessel without his
Knowlege, for their own Ventures; we therefore thought Proper
to remit the Forfeiture of the Vessel, on the thirty two Barrels
of Flour being given up. From the Searches which have been
made under our Orders and this being the only Instance of
an Excess worth any Notice, we are induced to conclude that
the Practice of eluding the Prohibition has not been so com-
mon as was represented to us and, we suppose, to Congress.
Two Bermudian Vessels which were said to have been loaded
principally with Flour, came from Baltimore and missed the
Officer we sent up; we sent a Galley after them, but without
Success. In Consequence of the Resolution of Congress,

C. C.

p. 197