Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1703.     155

     Recieve the rights and perquisites belong to the Lord high Lib. H. D.

     Admirall of England &c.

      And Whereas as I have received Great Comendations of

     you as fitt psons to be entrusted on behalf of his Royall

     Highness And upon Information that there have been since

     the Warr Declared severall Ships Vessells & Goods taken

     and seized as prize And as the Goods of Enemys of our

     Sovereign Lady Queen Anne & brought into the Flarbours

     ports & Roades & Creeks of the provinces of Maryland Vir- p. 187

     ginia & pensilvania as well by privateers as by other English

     Shipps unCommission'd These are therefore to Desire your

     Care and Authorize & impower you Ioyntly and Severally to

     take under your Care & Custody all Ships & Goods as are or

     shall be Seized as prize & brought into the Harbours ports

     Roads or Creeks of the said provinces of Maryland Virginia

     & pensilvania by any Ship or Vessell uncomissionated And

     also to Seize & take under yor Care & Custody the Goods &

     Effects of pirates As also all Derelicts Waifs ifiotsam Ietsom

     Lagon recovered & brought into the said provinces or either

     of them And the same to secure & keep by such Means as

     you shall think most Convenient for his Royall Highness Ser

     vice till the same be legally Iudg'd as prize to his Royall

     Highness or clear'd by due Course of Law. And you are

     likewise to procure the said Adjudications to be put in Execu

     tion & the proceeds thereof after a publiq Sale you are hereby

     directed to return & pay into my hands for the use of his

     Royall Highness or Clear'd by due Course of Law. And for

     as much as a tenth or tenth part of all Ships Vessells & Goods

     Seized as prize by English private men of Warr or by English

     Shipps having Letters of Mart do of right appertain unto his

     Royall Highness as Lord High Admirall of England &c These

     are therefore also to Authorize & Impower you lointly & Sever

     ally to ask Demand Recover & Receive to the use of his

     Royall Highness the tenth of all such Shipps Vessells and

     Goods after Adjudication by legall Authority as aforesaid

     according to an appraisement to be made by the same author

     ity upon the oaths of four or five Skillfull persons pursuant to

     the usuall Course & Style of Admiralty In all which you are

     to use your uttmost Care And upon receipt of the aforesaid

     perquisites Tenths Rights & dues belonging to the Lord high

     Admirall of England You are to remitt the same to me in the

     most Convenient manner & with all Speed that may be And

     for your trouble & Care in the premisses you are to Receive such

     Allowances as shall from time to time be thought reasonable

     Given at Duke Street Westminister in the County of Midx

     under my hand & Seale the seventh day of Aprill in the year