Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1716.    339

   Writt of Dedimus Potestatem to thm directed they had Ad- C. P.

   ministred the Oaths appointed instead of the Oaths of Alle

   giance and Supremacy and the Oath of Abjuration to one

   and fourty of the Members of the lower House, which last

   Oath the sd Members Subscribed and also the Declaration

   comonly called the Test

     Mr Tyler, Colonel Ward, Col Mackall, and Mr Hill came

   and acquainted his Excellency the Governour, that there were

   a sufficient Number of their Members met to make up their

   House Whereupon His Excellency sent the Honble Thomas

   Brooke Esqr and Colonel William Coursey to require their

   Attendance in the Council Chamber: Whereupon about

   fourty of the Members of the lower House came and attended

   his Excellency in Council, whome his Excellency directed to

   repair to their House and choose their Speaker: In order

   whereto they withdrew and repaired to their House

     And Colonel Hoskins and Mr Codd came and acquainted

   his Excellency that the House had chosen their Speaker.

     His Excellency immediately sent the Honble Lt Colonel

   Samuel Young & Col Thomas Addison to require them to

   present him for his Approbation

     Whereupon the Members of the lower House came and

   Presented the Honble Colonell Matthew Tilghman Ward as

   their Speaker who endeavoured to disable himselfe but was

   notwithstanding well approved of by his Excellcy who ex

   pressed himselfe extreamly satisfyed, as beleiving it was the

   unanimous Choice of the House.

     Then the sd Col Ward pray'd his Excellency that their

   Priveleiges might be preserved and he have Access to his

   Person on all urgent Occasions.

     Which his Excellcy was pleased to grant And then bespake

   them after this manner

   Gentlemen of the Upper

   and lower House of Assembly

     His most sacred Majesty King George (whome God Can

   preserve) has been most graciously pleased, out of his Abun

   dant Wisdom and Justice, to restore the Rt Honble the Lord

   Proprietarie of this Province, to the Governmt thereof; and

   also has the Clemency & Bounty to Approve of me in this

   Nation, I now have the honour to be employd, as appears by

   his Majesty's Royal Instructions under the Signe Manual, and

   Privy Seal Given at St James the 1st of July 1715 His

   Majesty, who is the true Defender of the Faith, was readily

   induced to reinstate the noble Family of Baltemore in their

   ancient Right of Governing this Province, from the Consid