56 Assembly Proceedings, Mar. 8, 1697/8-Apr. 4, 1698.

Original
Journal.

As to what you represent as Grievances that severall of the
Justices & Vestry men of the severall Countys have been
Arrested &^ca

His Excell^cy wants to know their names soe that if any of
them hath beene dealt with Contrary to Law care shall bee
taken th^t they shall have right & Justice done them. But tis
hoped you dont imagine th^t a Justice of Peace or Vestryman is
not Lyable to the Law as you would seem to insinuate You
may remembe^r what his Excell^cy told you the begining of this
Sessions th^t he had & would Endeavo^r to Support the Credditt
& Reputation of all those who were in any Employ Vnder his
Maj^tie heere with all the power he hath provided they behaved
themselves well and if there be any thing wanting that is
reasonable in Answering Yo^r Address concerning them his

p. 84

Excell^cy will be willing to pass any Law or Ordinance to that
effect; but hee is afraid that the reasons why Some of the
Iustices and Vestrymen have not th^t hono^r Obedience &
respect shewed to them, but Slighted & Contemned by the
Vulgar is their owne Actions & behaviour And he is affraid
they suffer themselves to be abused & affronted in open Court
without punishing the offend^rs That they Suffer Cursing
swearing, drunkenness & quarelling too oft in Court times &
th^t some of the Justices have allowed th^mselves & others Tob.
out of the publick Contrary to Law Viz^t S^t Marys Calvert
Prince Georges Dorchester & Talbott Countys. As by
Coppies of the s^d County Levys heerewitn sent May Appear.
It is very Surprizing to his Excell^cy yo^r Representing his
Sitting in View of the Provinciall Court strikes an Awefull fear
vppon Attorneys Iuro^rs & Suito^rs; but sure it Cannott vpon
those th^t are honest but is in hopes it does vpon Knaves.
Some of the Kings of England have Sate at their Courts at
Westminster Hall & when they have vouchsafed the Courts
the hono^r they have come to hear Causes & As Spectato^rs & he
does not understand what you mean by being Restrained from
th^t Liberty and ffreedom heeretofore vsed & he hopes in God
you can neither Joyntly nor Severally Accuse him of doeing
injustice either in Courts or out of them since he hath had
the Honor to Govern this Country but if you Can he wills
you Legally to prove it.

p. 85

As for yo^r Address Concerning the five Lawes, Yo^r Resolve
is since all the Acts for Impositions will not be repealed,
the house are Willing they should Expire of themselves
soe that his Excell^cy Supposes it to be in Vaine if it should
bee offered for two or three of them to be taken off, but
yo^r being perswaded that in strictness of Law a Proroga-
tion is the End of an Assembly seems to be a very odd dan-