Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1696/7-98. 209

     finding by theire Answer to your proposall Dated the 8th of Lib. H. D.

     July 1696 that they did not think themselves obliged to

     Contribute any More thereunto till his Matys pleasure therein

     should be further declared We have onely thereupon to

     repeat and more fully Explaine what we writt you in our last

     Letter upon that Subject Vizt That his Maty by his Order in

     Councill Dated the 19th of November last did require us to

     Signify his pleasure to the Govrs of all his Collonyes Con

     cerned in that regulation that they should each of them make

     good theire respective proportions which Order You are

     Therefore Accordingly to Observe.

      We observe That you write about Settleing the Boundaries

     between Maryland aud Pensilvania and haveing thereupon

     looked out the Order of Councill which you mention to have

     been made in the time of the late King James upon that

     Subject Dated the 13th of Novber 1685 and Esteeming the

     Execution thereof Very Necessary for the prevention of Dis

     putes between those two Provinces. We have required Mr

     Pen to give directions on his part for a Concurrence in the

     Governmt of Pensilvania. And he has to that purpose de

     livered to us the inclosed Lre to Coll Markham which we

     doubt not but will Accordingly be Observed; wherefore we

     also send you hereinclosed a Copy of the said Order that

     you may accordingly take Care it be observed with respect

     to his Matys Interrest in Maryland.

       The Laws of the Province of Maryland we find to be in

     great disorder. Before the receipt of the last we had already

     sent the former (which we found amongst the papers belong

     ing to this Office) to Mr Attorney and W Sollicitor genll for

     theire opinion upon the Legall part thereof And have but

     very lately received them back. The last are yet in theire

     hands; And till we have recd the whole we do not think fitt

     to make any of them particularly the Subject of our Con

     sideration For we are Sencible that they need a thorow

     Revisal, and are Doubtfull least a Determination upon any

     part of them without a View of the whole, will but breed yet

     greater Confusion, And by reason of such Confusion we

     pceive it was, that in order to the better understanding which

     of the Laws are in force in the Province of Maryland you were

     required by your Instructions with the Assistance of the

     Councill there to send over a Compleat body of the Laws

     that are now in force there together with your Opinion there p. 230

     upon And what alteracons you Judge requisite to be made

     therein, for by what we have observed in looking (tho but,

     Slightly) upon some of them, and by the list it Self of theire

     Titles Conteining so many Revivals of Temporary Laws we

     are Assured that the Obscurity whensoever we shall Come to

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