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

           Lib. H. D.     sons most here concerned in any of them: And thereupon they

                 think fit to let you know tht it has been some inconvenience

                 to us not to find any Agents here for Maryland, as there are

              p.     182 for Barbados, Jamaica & other places, appointed by Acts of

                 their General Assemblys; And tht we are apprehensive lest the

                 want thereof may happen in some occasions to prove preju

                 dicial to that Province, by delayes in their Publick affairs and

                 loss of opportunities for their advantage.

                   What you mention occasionly in the page of your Letter

                 about the want of Negroes and Servants in that Province, and

                 the decay of trade as occasioned in part by that want makes

                 us wish to be a litle particularly informed what ordinaryly

                 becomes of white Servants sent thither when the time of their

                 service is expired: Unto which we therefore desire your answer.

                   Your Doubt and difficulty about Tryalls for Breaches of the

                 Acts for Trade being matter of Law, we have sent to his Maj

                 esties Attorney and Solliciter Genneral for their Opinion there

                 upon, And shall not faile to advise you thereof in our next.

                 In the mean while we bid you heartily farewell.

                   White hall           Your very Loving Friends

                 November the 17th 1697.    Ph. Meadows

                                            John Pollexfen

                                            John Locke

                                            Abr Hill

                                            George Stepney

                   A Reply to Coll Nicholson's answer to the Pensilvania Mer

                 chantc Petition.

                   The first branch of the answer denyes the premises for if

                 we have free passage of allowed Comodities paying only such

                 dues or Custom's as were or shall be imposed by the Laws of

                 England to the Province of Pensilvania; then no Laws of any

                 Province under the Crown of England ought to obstruct the

                 free passage of such goods as have already paid in England,

                 in their passage to the Province they are consigned to, and

                 already have paid to goe to; nor is it the practice of any Nation

                 to require but there where the goods are consigned and sold.

                 So tht the Law of Maryland do's not make it the more Law-

                 full, because that it is not the Law of England, but injurious

                 to its Trade as well as to the people of Pensilvania.

                   His Second and third Branches need no other answer than

                 that we claime freedom by a use that is all over America and

                 that Maryland cannot of right break; for ‘tis expressly agt a

                 clause of Priviledge in the Lord Baltimores Pattent to all the

                 Kings Subjects that shall make that Province their way to

                 others where they inhabit; And if the Pensilvanians carry away