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

           P. R. o. with great Address gott them speedily Reenacted all his

         Maryland, 3. Generous Dessigns for the Good of this Country, were in

                danger of miscarrying; they are now sent back to be pre

                sented again to his Maty and to your Lops in Councill with an

                humble Address; tho if not penn'd as they ought, his Maty

                would be pleased to give Directions in what sort, they shall

                pass his Royal Assent; but it is a wonder here that Mr Popple

                has not given us timely notice how to make our Addresses

                and Applications; Many matters was left unfinish'd at my

                Coming away from England there was a memorial concerning

                severall advices notices & proposals, Relating to the Advan

                tage of the Kings Service in this and the adjacent Collonyes,

                presented to yor Lops by his Excellencys Order, and Referr'd

                by yor Lops to the Comrs of the Customes, and by them to the

                Merchants in which advice was given that the Planting of

                Cotton and the Encourageing of the Manufactoring of it in

                Virginia by Sr Edmund Andros, and others seem'd prejudicial

                to the Planting of Tobacco and to his Maties Interest, both in

                England and there and this Collony, This gave great distast

                to some in London, who were friends to Sr Edmund Andrews

                and had land here, they have sent Copys of the Memorial

                into Virginia Endeavouring to cast an odium upon his Excel

                lency as an Informer, and an Enemy to the benefit and Interest

                of the Country, The presenting of which has been also so far

                improved by some Hott and factious Spirits in our late

                Assembly, that tho I was of their opinion before and had now

                Recovered for them 300 ll Sr Edmund Andros had taken from

                our Collony, 200 ll of which is applyed to the building our free

                School, and given a fair Accot of all my negotiation. Give me

                leave to remark one thing, I doubt yor Lops were surprized by

                sending the Memorial, Entire to the Commrs of the Customes,

                or they were so by sending it to the Merchts since there are

                some things in it not so fitt for the Merchts or Common

                persons to know but the end of this is to lett me know what

                Iudgment is past upon it, because there has been so much

                noise about it.

            P. R. o.    Gov. Nicholson of the Board of Trade

         Maryland, 9. May it please your Lordships

            Answered fol. 97 I have the honour to receive your Lordships Letter of Septr

            Fol. 20 25th 1696, and shall endeavour according to my duty to

                returne your Lordships an Answer to all your Lordps Com

                mands therein so far as at present tis possible. His Most

                Sacred Majesty having authoriz'd and constituted your Lord

                ships Commissioners for promoting the Trade of England, and