Appendix to Council Proceedings, 1696—1729. 583

   not being excepted in the matter of keeping their chappells and B. M.

   fraternitys open to all they can perswade to Joyn with them Vol. 25.

   But in Virginia they never had that liberty. The Quakers

   have two generall meetings in Maryland, one on the eastern,

   the other on the western shore and quarterly meetings on

   each side the Bay where they not only transact matters of

   conscience but also manage their temporall affairs in which

   they appoint their own officers and keep books of their pro

   ceedings which are to them books of record. Tis highly

   probable that in those meetings they contrive ways to raise

   Moneys to carry on the interest of their party. Quaere whether

   such their proceeding are lawfull and whether their books and

   papers may not be seiz'd in order to make further discoveries.

   Mem: to get a copy of the Quakers late Peton in England.

   The copy of their Petition in Maryland is among my papers.

   Mem: that Richard Johns a principall Quaker when in England

   this last year among others complemented the Lord Baltemore

   about his Comeing again into Maryland it being a talk among

   some of them that he should be again restored the Government

   of the Province.

     Other enemyes also to our church and state are most of the

   rude and dissolute people of the Province who are managed

   by the Fapists and encouraged by the Quakers to joyn with

   them to take off the 4oC Tob. per Poll. which if it could be

   effected there can be no Subsistance found or maintenance

   for our ministers. If any person should obtain the Govern

   ment of Maryland where there are so many enemyes to the

   establisht Religion and so few even of the Council that are

   cordial friends to it the consequences may prove very fatall.

   For no very good character can be given either of the Reli

   gion or Moralls of the people in generall. The first setting

   up of the Discipline of the Church of England was indeed as a

   novelty at first desired and pretty well received but when they

   found the 40 c Tob. per poll was continued and their vicious prac

   tises by the principles of it and by the Government attempted

   to be restrained Then they grew into a dislike of it and to form

   partys against it many of them having never been christned

   nor careing that their children should be, and very few of the

   rest ever coming to the sacrament tho' they never professed

   themselves to be of another perswasion but ready to find any

   fault with their ministers and to divulge their failings. In

   like manner they were as well pleased with the Government

   but when their illegall Trade was questioned and a stop put

   to their other uniust practices and justice speedily and impar

   tially executed they flew off and return'd to their old licen

   tiousness, hoping by their numbers to escape punishment for

   their faults and to put in practice again their delatory way of