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

           P. R. O. publick Debts of the Countrey grew great, and others also,

         Maryland, 9. especially those to my Lord Baltimore upon account of his

                Quitt rents.

                  Whilst his Excellency Governor Copley lived, all the Debts

                were not paid, neither were any so during the time that his

                Excellency Sr Edmund Andros his Majesty's Lieutenant and

                Governor of Virginia took upon him this Government. Thô

                there be an annual charge for the maintenance of his Majesty's

                Honourable Councill, Burgesses, Iustices of the Provincial, and

                County Courts, Rangers &c which are paid in Tobacco, and

                levyed p pol. So that when it pleased God that I arrived

                here with the honour of having his Majestys gracious Com

                mission to be his Governour of this his Majesty's Province, I

                found it very much in debt; and I dare venture to say not very

                well setled either in the Church, Civil, or Military Govern

                ment. But according to his Majesty's Royall Commission and

                Instructions to me, I have endeavoured to new modell them, as

                will appeare by the Severall Journalls of Councills, Assembly

                and Laws, during the time that I have had the honour to be

                his Majesty's Governor here, which have been sent to the

                Lords of the late Committee of Trade and Plantations, together

                with my letters, Papers &c. And by this Fleet is transmitted

                to your Lordships by his Majesty's Secretary of this Province

                Sr Tho: Laurence the Duplicates of the Journals of Councill,

                Assembly, and Laws (which your Lordships do me the great

                honour to write me that you have received) as also of those

                since, with papers of other affairs concerning this his Majesty's

                Province.

                  I herewith most humbly transmit to your Lordships an

                account of the parishes &c in Nos.

                  There was a Law passed in the late Governor Copley's time

                for establishing the Church of England &c which his Majesty

                in Councill the 11th of March 1695/6 was pleas'd to disap

                prove and disallow of &c; But there is another now sent to

                your Lordships, and you may please to see by the Iournals of

                Assembly, what difficulties I met with about it. When I

                came hither I found very few of the Churches built according

                to the former Act of Assembly; but I hope in God that they

                will be all finished this year, and then we shall want Clergy

                men, and a Commissary to inspect the Church affairs, for

                whose maintenance an Act is passed, and now sent to your

                Lordships. My Lord Bishop of London hath promised to

                send an able Commissary and some good Clergymen, as also

                School Masters for the Free Schools, for establishing of which,

                there was an Act passed, which his Majesty was pleased to

                disapprove & disallow of &c But there is now sent to your

                Lordships another supplicatory Act for Free Schools, wherein