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

         Lib. H. D. Governours or Comanders in chief respectively. And whereas

                the persons appointed to Administer the said Oath were by

                some accidents prevented from performing the same within

                the time limmitted by the said Act

                  To the end therefore that the good intent of the said Act

                might not be disappointed for want of time to puft the same

                in execution It is by a clause in the said Act made in the 8th

                and 9th years of our Reigne intituled an Act for making good

                the deficiencies of several funds & for enlarging the Capital

                stock of the Banck of England, And for raising the publick

                credit, Enacted that further time should be allowed for

                administring the said Oath. And that all the present Govern-

                ours and Comanders in Chief of any English Collonies or

                Plantations shall before the 25th day of March 1698, And

                who shall hereafter be made Governrs or Comanders in Chief

                of the said Collonies or Plantations or any of them shall at

                their entrance upon their respective Governments or within

                the space of six months after the same take a sollemne Oath

                to doe their utmost that all the clauses matters & things con

             p. 151 teyned in the before recited act of Parliament or any of them

                heretofore passed and now in force relating to the said

                Collonies & Plantations be punctually and bona fide observed

                according to the true intent and meaning thereof Which Oath

                by the last recited act is directed to be taken before such

                persons as we our heires & Successors shall appoint. We

                therefore reposing especiall trust & confidence in you doe

                hereby appoint & authorize you the said Sr Thomas Laurence

                Edward Randolph Henry Iowles George Robotham Iames

                ffrisbey John Addison Thomas Brookes. Edward Chilton

                George Muschamp & Phillip Clarke or any five or more of

                the members of the Council in our Province of Maryland for

                the time being or any three or more of you to administer the

                following Oath to the Governor or Comander in Chief of our

                said Province of Maryland. And in case of the absence death

                or removall of so many of you the Commissioners that there

                are not a sufficient number remaining to administer the said

                Oath Our further will & pleasure is that any three or more of

                the Council in the said Province for the time being shall be

                and are hereby appointed and impowered to administer the

                said Oath to the Governr or Comander in chief in the said

                Province for the time being. In Wittness whereof we have

                caused these our Letters to be made Pattents Wittnesses

                Thomas Arch Bishop of Canterbury and the rest of the

                Guardians and Justices of the Kingdome at Westminster the

                thirtieth day of Aprill in the ninth year of our Reigne.

                                              Trevor Dauling.