340 Assembly Proceedings, April 26-May 3, 1704.

P. R. O.

Therefore I^st as to appointing a Committee to inspect and
revise the Laws in the Vacaon of Assemblys wee haue formerly
made tryall of that method, but itt never answered Expectaon,
and itt may be better, and more pfectly Done in assembly
tyme, where all Difficultyes may Readyly be solved as they
arrise, as formerly it bas been done, wee desire that Article,
together with the 4^th, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18 & 19^th
articles may be referred to the consideraon of the next grail
Assembly, to which purpose wee shall order our Clerke to
draw off all those matters, and others upon this occasion, wee
are forced to referr as aforesaid, and lay them before the next
assembly, And as to the abjuraon, & other oaths required to
be Enacted, Now wee conceiue that since the Laws of Eng-
land, in that point are obliedging to us, as well as others, that
may be referred alsoe
As to the Style of our Laws in the second Article wee shall
conforme our selues as required.
Wee will alsoe obserue the third article in what laws wee
shall frame this sessions, the 9^th and 10^th articles are particu-
larly to yo^r Excy, and wee shall not offer any thing to the
violaon of them.
The 13^th and 14^th are directed to yo^r Excy & the honble
Councill, & if wee knew what Questions your Excy would ask
us thereon then wee would humbly offer our thoughts

p. 19

Sign'd p Ord^r of the house of Dell
W Taylard elk house Del

To which being read at the Board the following Reply was
sent by M^r Smith & M^r Iames Sanders

By his Ex^cy the Governeur & Councill
in Assembly.
Gent
Your message by m^r Salter and m^r Smith has been read
and his Excy and her Ma^tys councill declare th^t they hold itt abso-
lutely necessary, that her Majestyes Royall instructions relate -
ing to the Determining of Association, and Enacting the oath
of abjuraon, to be taken by all in office here should be Enacted
into a Law this present Session of assembly & not further
Delayed, and among many other great and weighty reasons,
therefore (besides our duty in complying with her Majestyes
most lawfull and reasonable comands doe urge that in the said
Instructions of the Vestrymen &c. being obliedged to Sub-
scribe the Association, which is now not necessary, and that it
would be very absurd to require that subscription, since his
late Majestye's decease, therefore this board doe againe re-