Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1706. 205

    said Bladen an Attorney retayned against him into the Pos-        Lib. C. B.

    session of all his ffees & pquisites of Office It is only to make

    a coulourable pretence of some hardship done to Sr Thomas

    when indeede there is not any, as may appear by the Minutes

    in Councill of the 7th of December 1704. When the Councill

    being inform'd of the Death of Coll William Dent whome            p. 53

    Sr Thomas Laurence had left his attorney here, did inquire

    Who tooke Care of Sr Thomas's concerns. And being made

    Sencible that Sr Thomas Laurence had made over and

    assigned all the ffees Perquisites and Proffits of his Secre

    tarys Office to William Bladen for the Satisfaction & payment

    of two hundred & fifty pounds Ster & 15293 ls Tobacco did

    thinke the Said William Bladen the Properest Person to take

    Care of such ffees, And whereas it was absolutely Necessary

    that the said Sr Thomas Laurence's Clarks who mannage the

    Office and the Deputy Secretary should be paid their respec

    tive Sallarys, It was Ordered that the Said Bladen should

    take Care and see them paid out of Sr Thomas's ffees Which

    wee hope all Reasonable men will aprove of without observing

    the least Shadow of Disrespect to Sr Thomas Laurence therein

    not being in the least conscious to our Selves thereof.

      Whereas Sr Thomas Laurence in his Letter to his Excel

    lency seems to retorte that his Exncy had wrote him the Bill

    imposing fynes for Ordinary Lycences was not a Possitive Law

    but only Petitionary which his Said Excellency had so pro

    posed on purpose out of a true reguarde to the said Sr

    Thomas's Interest, Yet he finds the Said Law to be Positive

    as well as the Rest, and for want of his Said Excellencys          p. 54

    Reasons sent with the Law he is like to be Stript of two

    years Profitt of that Branch of his Office Wee very well

    remember how Tender his Excellency was of Sr Thomas

    Lawrence her Majestys Secretarys Interest therein tho it was

    Strongly asserted that the Said Secretary had no right thereto

    and are assured that his Said Excellency did Propose the

    Said Law should be Petitionary to the end to give Sr Thomas

    a better handle to make his Pretentions Appear before her

    most Sacred Majesty in Councill, and in Case his Excellency

    had not then agree to the Bill as Proposed yett Sr Thomas

    Could not reap any benefitt for that the former Act of As

    sembly for levying those fines having been a temporary Law

    & Expired there there was no power to receive those Lycences

    Vested in any Person Wherefore this Article is also a very

    unjust & groundless Charge against his Said Excellency the

    Governour who is thus unhandsomely rewarded for his ffavour

    and ffriendship to Sr Thomas.

      Sr Thomas Laurences Complaint that the Searches in the

    Land Office were cut off to one Moyety & other ffees abridged