Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1703. 167

      to the Condemnation of your Prize we know no other Law Lib. X.

      in Force than that of the 4th & 5th of King William & Queen

      Mary by which that affair if transacted in this province must

      be directed unless you can produce any Later Statute of her

      present Majesty or otherwise providing therein which if you

      have any such the President avouches he requested you so

      to do yet if there be as some have offered any Royal Proclam

      ation or Declaration whereby her Majesty has Directed any

      further Allowance or reward to your self & Ships Company

      you may be assured the same will be honourably complied

      with by this her Majestys Governmt where you will find all

      the fair Treatment you can desire but as to your Demand

      that the President should give you very good Security for

      yours & the Ships Company's parts it is in all Respects

      extravagant & Derogatory to the honour of this her Majestys

      Government & very unreasonable in regard the Law Directs

      two persons appointed by you & the Ships Company shall be

      equally intrusted with the Commsrs of the Prizes or as the

      natural Equity of the Statute will Extend to such as shall be

      appointed by the Governor of the West Indies Island or plan

      tations who are here in Lieu of the Commsrs of the prizes

      therefore Sir if you think fit to conform your self to that Law

      in delivering your Prize as directed the Condemnation may

      be very speedily Effected Either at the Town and Port of

      Annapolis if you can Conveniently come there or otherwise P. 343

      in reguard to your Indisposition of health and the Shortness

      of your stay here Considered the judge of the Court of

      Admiralty who is always ready in his duty will meet you and

      all concerned at the Court House in Battle Town in Calvert

      County upon your intimation & a reasonable time prefixed

        We are apt to Believe you have been misadvised in this

      Affair which has been the occasion of this delay of time in

      which your Business might have been dispatcht

      Sir

        Your Character from all the Trade here stands so fair with

      us that none can have any Grounds to suspect any embezzle

      ments by you particularly or any honest Gentleman in so

      honble a post & assure you we never heard of any such Sur

      mise therefore you may well expect all the just and Honble

      Treatment this Government can express to so worthy a per

      son as we are obliged to believe you are

                            Sir

                             Your humble Servants

                                 Tho Tench President

                                 John Hammond

                                 Wm Holland

                                 James Sanders