Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1696/7-98. 351

    (some of them at least) as also the forementioned suggestion Lib. H. D.

    of obstructing the exportation of Goods from hence, appear to

    have weight in them; and that however, the partiality therein

    complained of in the execution of that Law, if there have been

    any ought more especially to have been avoided. We are

    obliged also particularly to take notice of one Article entered

    the 28th of May 1697. In your Iournal of Council in Assem

    bly, wherein it is said that a Letter of Mr Poveys to you dated

    the 20th of Octobr 1696 was read, in wch he writes that he has

    not been wanting to Solicit us about the Maryland Coynes:

    Whereupon we must inform you that no such application was

    ever made to us about tht matter. And tho two or three loose

    papers were delivered to us upon that Subject amongst others

    when we first entered upon this Comission as things depend

    ing before the Lords of the late Committee, we did not think

    fitt for us to move any thing in that matter till the Laws them

    selves of that Province came Regularly under our considera

    tion. There are several things in your letter of the of July

    & papers accompanying it, Relating to the Acts for Trade,

    and methods for the more effectual observation thereof, all wch

    are very usefull for our Information; and we desire you upon

    any New occasion to continue your advices to us upon the same

    Subject; But as those matters lye more particularly, under the

    Conduct of the Comissrs of his Majestys Customes here, we

    desire that for the future whatever you write us upon that

    Subject be in a distinct paper seperate from your Letters

    about other business; and that at the same time you give us

    notice whether you send the same things (or how much of

    them) to the Comissioners of the Customes themselves; That

    so we may avoid the needless trouble of sending them the

    Copys of your papers.

      Your Diligence in issuing Proclamations & giving directions

    through your Government for the apprehending of Every and

    other Pirates, and the Zeale wch you express upon all occasions

    for the extirpation of that pernicious Race of Vermin, is very

    commendable. But we must observe to you upon that Subject

    that the information of Thomas Robinson & Francis Jones

    which you have sent us relating to Pirates in Pensilvania, and

    to the conduct of that Governmt towards them, is the less

    weight because not upon Oath: And that we suspend our

    Iudgment upon that matter till we have more throughly

    Examined their defences than we have yet had leizure to do.

    It has happened now upon occasion of the Peace tht we have

    been obliged to inquire into encouragements that can be pro

    posed in any of his Majtes Plantacons for such of the Soldiers

    now to be disbanded may as be willing to transplant themselves

    thither: upon wch occasion we have had recourse to the per-