150 Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1696 / 7-98.

          Lib. H. D. asked to shew his Deputacon which he produced accordingly

                 and was Read; who thereupon had Administred unto him in

                 Councill, the Oaths appointed by Act of Parliamt to be taken

                 instead of the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy; as also

                 the Oath of Trade and Navigation and afterwards Subscribed

                 to the Test. His Exncy is pleas'd to ask him if he Can advise

                 any thing whereby his Mat Service may be promoted in the

                 way of his Office, and he would give all Necessary Orders

                 therein; for his Assistance Asking likewise if he had Recd:

                 any particular Instructions or printed Certificates &ca from the

                 Commrs who Says he has not.

                  Ordered that George Plater Esq Collr and Receiver of

                 Petuxen District do (upon Sight hereof) deliver up all

                 Instructions Copyes of Letters from the Rt honrble the

                 Commrs of his Mats Customs about illegal Traders together

                 with Printed Certificates Proclamations, Orders of Councill or

                 other Matters respecting the Collrs place of that District; unto

                 Peter Jenings Esq the Bearer hereof this day admitted and

                 Sworn at the Board his mats Collr of the sd District. Produced

                 by Peter Jenings Esq to the Board a Commission to him

                 given by the honrble the Principall Commrs for Prizes, bearing

                 date the 19th day of November A° 1696: under their hands

                 and Seal of Office, which was Read, thereby Constituting

                 him with full power to be their Agent, and to do in their

                 behalf within this his Mats Province of Maryland in all affairs

                 of that Nature in one Clause thereof it is said And whereas

                 we are Inform'd there are and hath been great Concealmts

                 and Embezlemts made and Coniitted and that also no Acct

                 hath been yet Return'd unto Us, of any Prize Ships, Goods

                 & Merchandizes, which hath been brought into any Port or

                 place of Maryland.

              p.     530 His Exncy is pleasd to observe thereon that there Never

                 appear'd here any Comission from them of that Nature

                 before; but that he had sent an Accot to the Rt honrble the

                 Lords of the Admiralty of what Prizes have been in his time,

                 which were but two, and that if the sd Commrs had not an

                 Accot thereof, it was their own fault, for not sending in some

                 person with a Commission before now Being further pleased

                 to Say that as there Never did appear any Commission of

                 that Nature (in this Province) before, and those two Prizes

                 happening to be brought in, Tryed and Condemn'd and noe

                 Officer here Commissionated for looking after the Same, he

                 appointed George Plater Esq his Mats Receiver to take Care

                 of his Mats part of the sd prizes, which the sd Mr Plater has

                 now in his hands his Exncy declaring he never medled with

                 any part thereof himself.

                   Ordered that George Plater Esq his Mats Receiver of