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

            Lib. H. D. William the third By the Grace of God King of England

            p. 161 Scotland, France and Ireland Defender of the Faith &ca

                  Letters Patents To our Weilbeloved Francis Nicholson Esqr our

                  to the Governr

                  of Maryland present Governour of Maryland in America an

                  to appoint to the Governor of Maryland for the time being

                  Judges Registers & & Greeting. Whereas wee think it necessary that

                  Marshalls & for the preventing of a failure of Justice, as well

                              advocates of .

                  the Courts of in the respective Courts of Admiralty in the

                  Admiralty of Province under our immediate Authority in the

                  Maryland Pensilvania West Indies as in the severall proprietyes con-

                  and West tained in the Comissions to the Governor of

                  Jersey. the said Province for want of proper Officers to

                  manage those matters upon any present vacancy or the death

                  or legall disability of those who are in present possession of

                  those imployments, the said Governor should in such case be

                  impowered to appointed Judges Registers Marshalls and Ad.

                  vocates not only in the Admirallty Courts of their own Gov

                  ernments, but also in those of the Proprietyes wch are nearest

                  to the same, And Wee being desireous that Justice should be

                  duly administered in all the Provinces and places under our

                  immediate Authority in the West Indies & also in the sev

                  erall proprieties contained in the Comissions to the Governrs

                  of the said Provinces and by these our Letters Pattents or

                  Cornission particularly to provide for our Courts of Admiralty

                  of Maryland Pensilvania and West Jersey, have thought fit to

                  impower, and doe by these presents committ & grant unto

                  you Our present Governour of Maryland, and to our Gov

                  ernor of Maryland for the time being full power and Author

                  ity to appoint Iudges, Registers, Marshalls, and Advocates, for

                  our Admiralty Courts of Maryland Pensilvania and West

                  Jersey upon any present vacancy of any of those offices or

                  when there shall happen any either by the death or legall dis

                  ability of those who are or shall be in possession of the same.

                  And wee do hereby require you Our present Governor of

                  Maryland, and our Governour of Maryland for the time being

                  to transmitt as soone as possible you can to our Lord high

                  Admirall of England or to our Commissioners for executing

                  the office of Lord high Admirall of England for the time being

                  the names of the respective persons wch you shall at any time

                  appoint to the Officer aforementioned in the said Admiralty

                  Courts in Order to their being approved or disallowed of In

                  Witness whereof wee have caused the great Seale of our

                  high Court of Admiralty of England to be hereunto fixed.

                  Given at London in our said Court the six and twentieth day

                  of June in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hun

                  dred ninety Seaven, and in the ninth year of our reigne.

                                              Orlando Gee Regr