Appendix to Council Proceedings, 1696—1729. 585

    any privateer or Pyrate arrive there. If obiection be made B. M.

    to this practice it is desired that the masters and merchants Vol. 25.

    which use this Country may be called and examined upon

    oath about it. That by Proclamation and orders of Council

    entred in the Journalls it will appear his Excy hath taken all

    possible care to prevent that mischief but the Country being

    all open it is impossible wholly to prevent it.

      Maryland lyes under great inconveniencys by the Remiss

    ness of Government in Pensylvania, by their illegal Trade

    and by the Manufactures there set up with which in time they

    will supply the wants of that Province. Mr Edward Randolph

    hath been lately there and discovered some late illegall prac

    tices in point of Trade and hath sent home an account to the

    Commrs of the Custome house. As to their Civill Govern

    ment all men know the partial and foul judgment of the

    quaker justices. The only way to be satisfy'd is to send over

    or to appoint Commissioners to examine into their frauds and

    abuses of all sorts.

      All which will further appear by Mr Pens letter to his Ex

    cellency by seeing how industrious he is to suppress any in-

    formations given against his illegal practices. His Excellency

    thought it not expedient to answer Mr Pens letter or to hold

    any correspondence with him without your Lordships com

    mands or direction which if he receive he doubts not but to

    give your Lordships full satisfaction. The threatning expres

    sions in Mr Pens letter against Mr Randolph are remarkable

    And what he sais about procuring for Coll. Fletcher the Gov

    ernment of Maryland as in Coll. Bayard's letter. By all

    which it appears the design he has to advance the reputation

    of his interest in England by pretending to remove Governors

    and frighten inferiors into obedience unto himself by deterring

    them to give any accounts of his proceedings. And his

    Excy doubts not but that he will use all his interest to remove

    him for his endeavors to promote the churches and schools,

    and to oppose the illegality of his I'rade, his harboring Pyrates

    and entertaining runaway servants and managing the Trade

    of Maryland both lawfull and unlawfull, which that he might

    hinder his Excy hath put them under restrictions by obliging

    their Traders to come to Annapolis and Williamstadt.

    These Traders from Pensilvania pay nothing to the support

    of the Government nor are of any use or defence unto it

    being of the nature of Scotch Pedlars. In fine his Excy takes

    his Matys and Mr Pens interest to be as opposite as the French

    Trade hath been formerly to that of England. If Mr Pen

    should obiect that there is or can be no inland Trade from

    Pensilvania to Maryland, it is observed that there are two or