The Upper House. 227

and defencless Condition open to our afs^d Enemy, whilst our
neighbours retain their Strength for their own Defence, and
which we believe is the best Service to his Majesty
8 Let it be considered that 2000lb of Tob^o p year is one
with another what every Labourer makes in this Province and
that none but Labourers or the best of this Province can be
sent to make up the Quota of men demanded and it will
easily be found considering the Inability to us of raising mony
and the duty Tob^o pays at home that the maintaining the
Quota of men mentioned will ruin this Province in one year

Original
Journal.

and lessen his Majesty's Revenue more than double the sum
that we pay besides the Danger of this Province of being
overrun and destroyed by the Salvages in the mean Time
And that his Majesty on Consideration thereof and his
gracious Regard for our Safety will be pleased to exempt
from that or any other Contribution to New York and direct
that the s^d mony or what other Strength we can raise may be
applyed to the defence of this Province of Maryland against
the Incursions of his Majesty's & our Enemys that so we may
with Comfort & Quiet apply our selves to our manufacture
of Tob^o for our own Support and Increase of his Majesty's
Revenue
His Excellency was pleased to write to the House as fol-
loweth viz.

Gentlemen
I being with God's assistance bound for England I will
with the utmost of my Power Serve you as Effectually as I
can, in your business of New York; but I would not have
you to be mistaken to think, that I am that Considerable Per-
son as to have the Honour of his Majesty's Eare, but I will
make my Application to that honble Board the Lords Com-
missioners of Trade ........ who under his Majesty
are the Patrons of the Plantations and if their Ldships shall
Judge it necessary I shall represent your case to his Majesty
by way of Memorial or what other methods their Lordships
shall judge most proper
N: Blakiston

By the Council in Assembly March 24^th 1701/2

p. 221

Gentlemen
We have sent you a Copy of a Paragraph of the Right
Honourable the Lords Comm^rs of Trade & Plantations Letter
to his Excellency the Governeur by which you may perceive
how deficient their said Lordships do think we are to our
selves in not appointing some fitt Person to Sollicite our
Affairs in England which are oftentimes delayed and some

p. 222