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

          P. R. o.  too, rather than stay; being apprehensive that they should not

               recover, if they stay in the Country. They are in hopes that

               being at Sea, & change of air recovers them; which I think it

               doth. For may be great fears & hopes operate very much

               upon such sort of people in point of health.

                I hope yor Lordps will be pleased to send me his Matys

               Royal Letter dated the 22nd of April 97. requiring my punctual

               Care in all things relating to the execution of the Acts for the

            Plantacon-trade:  for there was no Duplicats of it with yor

               Lordps

                According to yor Lordps Comands concerning his late Ex

               cellency Governr Copley's Estate's answering to his Majestys

               the 4th part of the 1s p Hdd on Tobacco, which he ought to

               have imployed in Stores of war; I have given orders to his

               Matys Atturney genrl to revive the Prosecution at Law agst the

               sd Governr Copley's Administrat.

                N° 4 is an abstract (taken out of the journals of the Council

               since my time) concerning Arms, Ammunicon &c. which I

               found in this his Matys Province: as allso what I have sent for,

               & is come in upon the Acct of the 3d p Hdd on Tobacco; &

               how the sd Arms, Ammunicon &c. are disposed of, The several

               Collectrs, Naval Officers, and Receivers, were all sworn to their

               Accts before me, and his Majestys honourable Council; that it

               might appear what was the full summe thereof; in order to

               have it appropriated for buying Arms, Ammunicon &c. accord

               ing to one of his Majestys Royal Instructions to me.

                The first Account thereof, which is in folio 23, was sent by

               Captain Peter Paggan Mercht in London. And the last, wch is

               in folio 42, was sent by one Mr Isaac Milner by order of the

               said Paggan. And from folio 44, to the end, are Copys of

               Letters to the sd. Paggan and Milner, concerning what Arms,

               Amunicon &c. they are to buy and send in by the next ship

               ping, wch it please God, shall come hither. And for fear there

               should be any want of them especially of the powder, I sent

               my own Bills for 250 ll, tho I had not rcd. above the half upon

               account of the sd. 3d

                In the sd. No 4 are orders of Council concerning the Militia,

               which I think dos not deserve that Name; for I find it morally

               impossible to have any tolerable one, as the Act is now. But

               I intend (God willing) to try the Assembly once more for a

               new Act.

                The Reasons why I have not given particular Commissions,

               are because I can not find men enough, that are qualifyed for

               their Loyalty, Courage, and Diligence, to be made Officers.

               And those who are obliged by Law, to be either, Horse, Foot,

               or Dragoons, and to have Arms, Ammunicon &c. of their own;

               can not amongst them all, fully equip a twentieth part. For