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

           Lib. H. D.    ering you to call together four or more Comissrs of your

                 County with the Clerk to sit as a Court; and during their

                 sitting (by virtue of your Office) to make or cause to be made

                 publick Proclamation; thereby giving notice to all the ffree

                 men of yor said County (authorized by law) to appear at a

                 certain day & place appointed for the Electing and choosing

                 of four Delegates or Representatives to serve for yor County

                 at a Generll Assembly to be held at our Town & Port of

                 Annapolis the 23d day of February instant, as by recourse to

                 our said Writt being had may more fully and at large appear.

                 But forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God that the

                 weather continues still so sharp and extreme hard as to keep

                 fast lockt up most of the Rivers Bayes & Creeks within this

                 our said Province (Scarce ever known the like) insomuch that

                 it is imagined severall of our said writts issued and sent to

                 our Sheriffs residing on the Eastern shore, are not yet come

                 to hand, and therefore cannot with any probability expect a full

                 meeting nor sufficient number of Members to make a full

                 Assembly (by the day and time prefixed) to do and to consent

                 to those things which by the favour of God might happen to

                 be Enacted & Ordained by the advice and consent of the Great

                 Council of our said Province. We do for the reasons afore

                 said intend (God willing) to deferr, putt off & prorogue the

                 the meeting of the said Assembly to the eighth day of March

                 next; Cornanding you forthwith to give speedy notice there

                 of, as well to the Members of our Privy Council as House

                 of Delegates residing within yor Balywick, who are in no

                 wise to faile then to meet, at our Town and Port of Annapolis

                 aforesd according to Adjournment. And you are likewise

                 Comanded afterwards to make due Proclamation of this our

                 writ in the usual places wth in your said County as also give

                 publick notice that our Court of Chancery, Comissaryes Court

                 & Governr & Councill for hearing of Appeals & Writts of

                 Error will not sit untill the meeting of our said Assembly.

                 Wittness our trusty & Weilbeloved ffras Nicholson Esqr Capt

                 Genrll & Governr in Chief in & over our sd Province & Terri

                 tory of Maryland, and given under the Broad Seale thereof at

                 our Town & Port of Annapolis aforesaid this 15th day of ffebty

                 1697/8. And in the tenth year of our Reign.

                                                 ffr. Nicholson

                  Ordered that publick inquiry be made by the Sherriffs

                 within their respective Counties whether there were ever any

                 horses prest for the publick use and service of this his Maj

                 esties Province, either by his Exncy or lawfull Authority for

                 which Satisfaction has not been duly made, or for his Exncys

             p. 631 own use without his actual paying for the same a due return