130 Assembly Proceedings, May 8-May 17, 1701.

Original
Journal.

Friday May the 9^th 1701
The Councill Sate Present as Yesterday.

The Petition of John Ryan of Dorchester County com-
plaining ag^t Col Henry Mitchell and his Overseer for taking
up his Sloop Pillaging and deteining his Goods & Provisions
without which he is not able to sustein his Wife and Ten
Children. His Excellency is pleased to recomend the same
to the Worshipfull his Ma^tys Justices of Calvert County to
inquire thereinto and do the Petitioner Speedy Justice
Came from the house Col^o Edw^d Lloyd and Eleaven other
Members who bring the following Answer to what his Excel-
lency was pleased to say to them Yesterday which is as
followeth viz^t

May it Please Your Excellency.
The Easiness which his Ma^tys Subjects in this Province were
imediately sencible of att the first Commencem^t of Your
Government & the Exact Constancy of it in its Progress
Assures us that it is the innate & genuine disposition of your
Excellency to facilitate the People under your Conduct, and
as we have found yo^r Ex^cy allways and att all times Just &
Prudent in Publick affairs and Sincere and Candid in Per-

p. 7

sonall, so shall you find a cheerfull Obedience & ingenuous
dealing from us and a perfect desire to avoid the least flaw
of Contention, and inviolably to maintaine that perfect Har-
mony and Correspondency which hitherto we have kept and
have the same thoughts with your Excellency & Councill that
the usuall method of Messages and Conferences conduces
much thereto.
Neither the dissolution of the last Assembly nor any other
Act of your Excellency hath been displeasing to us, and
although att this present Meeting You may see some new
Faces yet shall you find in the whole the old disposition to
his Ma^tys Service and the good of this Province which we
hope will never look differing ways.
What of late may have prevented Ships and Consequently
kept us in the dark as to the State of our Laws we know
not, but since we enjoy the present Comfort of them and are
Assured they are in the hands of so good a Prince and Pa-
tron, we will Sitt down in hopes of an Answer to our Satis-
faction, being now ready to receive what Proposall shall be
sent to us from Your Excel^cy & his Ma^tys hon^ble Councill.
May the 9^th 1701 Signed p Order of the House of Del
W Taylard Cl House Del