206 Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1706.

       Lib. C. B. to the Value of Seven Thousand pounds of Tobacco yearly

           p. 55  is not altogether true tho Sr Thomas has Some Ground for

                  the Suggestion. It's true The ffees of Searches are altered

                  having formerly been four pounds of Tobacco p Annum but

                  now four pounds of Tobacco for every year within the first

                  five years & two pounds of Tobacco for every year after And

                  two or three other ffees conceived too Excessive by the Gen

                  erall Assembly are Somewhat retrenched not but that there

                  is Still a reasonable reward for those Services to be done by

                  the Secretarys Clarks and had not his Excellcy tho he declared

                  it to be against his inclinations, and this Board Agreed thereto

                  the Secretarys ffees for want of An Act of Assembly the

                  former having been Temporary and Expired would have been

                  as Precarious as the Ordinary Lycences were for near two

                  years when for want of a Law there was no Authority to

                  Collect them.

                   Whereas Sr Thomas Laurence Says that among other hard

                  shipps his said Excellency had done him he is Sorry to find

                  his said Excellency had consented to an Address of the As

                  sembly to her Majesty to take away the Record of the Land

                  Office out of the Secretarys Custody to be placed with the

                  Lord Baltemores Officers on certain Conditions. Wee do

                  Solemnly Declare that Wee know of no Such Address neither

                  did wee ever hear of any Such proposiall made to his Excel

                  lency or this Board to that end or purpose And having made

           p. 56  Diligent Inquiry Do find by the Declaration and Oath of

                  Mr Thomas Bordley Chief Clarke of the Secretarys Office that

                  there never was any Such Transaction.

                   The Seals for Governr & Councill Provinciall Court &

                  Twelve Countys were brought by Mr Evan Thomas & well

                  approved off. And Ordered that he be allowed forty Shilling

                  for each Seale to be paid by the publiq & recomended to the

                  Comittee for allowance.

                   Also Order that the sd Seals be used in the Councill Provll

                  & County Courts

                   His Excellency acquaints the Board he had Sent the old

                  Great Seale by Mr Evan Evans to Coll Blakiston our Agent

                  to be Delivered to the Boarde of Trade &c. And Shewed

                  the following Receipt.

                       Port Memorandum that this ,Day to witt the 14th day

                  of Annapolis of August 1706. I received of his Excellency

                          John Seymour Esq Capt Generall and Governr in

                  Cheif of this Province Two peices of Silver Plate The one

                  Cutt or engraved with the Arms of England & his late Maj-

                  esty the other with a Cypher Wm & Mary Rex & Reginia

                  heretofore used as the Great Seale of this Province which I