Appendix to Council Proceedings, 1696—1729. 581

  Touching Collectors and other Officers.      B. M.

                                               Vol. 25.

     The District of Patuxent by the Settlement of the Commrs

   of the Customs takes in all the Bay of Cheasopeak (except

   Somerset county) The Mapp will best shew the extent of it

   and how many rivers and bays it comprehends. But by the

   two Acts for Towns which his Excy hath passed formerly for

   the Encouragement of Trade Ports were designed at Annap

   olis and Williamstadt where the Collector or his Deputy were

   Oblig'd to reside with the Navall Officer as also the Lord

   Baltemore's officer as the Law directs.

     Quare of the Merchants trading up the Bay several of which

   have petition'd to be enter'd at those Ports, whither it be not

   more convenient for the Trade of the Country that shipps and

   vessells comeing to west, Rode and South Rivers which three

   are very nigh to Annapolis And those Shipps that goe above

   it to Baltemore and Cecill Countys since they sail just by the

   mouth of that Port should enter and cleer there And there

   Vessells that trade to little Choptank, Kent, Hole, Miles and

   Wye Rivers, and to Williamstadt should not enter and deer

   at Williamstadt those places all adjoyning to that town and

   port it being very troublesome and often dangerous for them

   to enter and deer at Patuxent, and impossible for the officers

   there to look after shipps bound up the Bay and to places is

   farr distant from one another.

     ‘I'here is nothing to be obiected to this but the lessening of

   profitts of the Collector of Patuxent, And that it would be

   much more for his Matys interest there should be fewer places

   for shipps to ride in the masters of them will all acknowledge

   (except such Merchants as keep factors whose interest it is to

   keep the Trade disperst to the dammage of the Country) The

   Officers in those places being near the shipps which enter

   with them and easily visit and look after them which the other

   officers cannot.

     His Excellency therefore proposes that a Collector be placed

   at Chester River and up the Bay only on that side since that

   officer will be ready on all occasions to goe by land to the head

   of his District in Cecill County, as the Collector of Annapolis

   will be to goe to the head of Baltemore The difficulty of passage

   being most in winter and spring which are the chief times of

   Trade.

     Herring Bay to remain in Patuxent Dictrict.

     By the appointment of the Commrs of the Customes there

   are but three districts in Maryland viz. Patuxent Patomeck

   and Pocomoke in Somerset County and the same reasons still

   remain for having a small Frigot to cruise in the Bay as have

   been before proposed, especially for punishing refractory

   seamen and securing them from running away, concerning