Appendix to Council Proceedings, 1696/7-98. 541

        Secretaries of State and to the Lords of our Privy Councill P. R. 0

        appointed a Committee of Trade and Plantations with all con

        venient speed, The names and characters of twelve persons

        Inhabitants of our said province whom you shall esteem the

        best qualified to succeed in that trust and so from time to time

        when any of them shall dye depart out of our said Province

        or become otherwise unfitt you are to nominate so many other

        persons to Us in their stead

         And in the choice and nomination of the Members of our

        said Councill as also of the principall Officers Judges Assist

        ants Justices and Sheriffs you are always to take care that

        they be Men of Estate and ability and not neccessitous people

        ormuch in debt and that they be persons well affected to our

        Government.

         You are not to suspend the Members of our Councill with

        out good and sufficient cause and in case of suspension of any

        of them you are forthwith to transmitt unto Us as aforesaid

        and to our Committee for Trade and Plantations your reasons

        for so doing together with the charges and proofs against the

        said persons and their answers thereunto.

         You are from time to time to send unto Us and to our said

        Committee the names and Qualities of any Members by you

        put into our said Councill by the first conveniency after your

        so doing.

         You are to transmitt Authentick Copies under the Publick

        Sea! of all Lands Statutes and Ordinances now in force or

        which at any time shall be made and enacted within our said

        Province unto Us and our Committee for Trade and Forreign

        Plantation within three months or by the first opportunity after

        their being Enacted together with Duplicates thereof by the

        next Conveyance upon pain of our highest displeasure and

        the forfeiture of that years Salary wherein you shall at any

        time or upon any pretence whatsoever omitt to send over the

        said Laws and Ordinances as aforesaid within the time above

        limitted.

         And you shall reduce the Salary of the Members of the

        Assembly to such a moderate Proportion as may be no Griev

        ance to the Country wherein nevertheless you are to use your

        discretion so as no inconveniency may arise thereby.

         You are to take care that no Mans life Member Freehold

        or Goods be taken away or harmed in our said Province but

        by established and known Laws not repugnant to but as much

        as may be agreeable to the Laws of our Kingdome of England.

         You shall administer or cause to be administered the Oaths

        appointed by Act of Parliament to be taken instead of the

        Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy as also the Test unto the

        Members and Officers of our Councill and Assembly All