92 Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1700.

            Lib. x.   to his Majestys service & this Provs are effectually laid before

                 your Lordships by his Excy Collo Blakiston our Governor but

                 that which occasions us to give your Lordships this trouble is

                 to excuse our selves on account of the act ascertaining the

                 Laws of this Province & to lay before your Lordships the

                 subtil contrivances & false insinuations of those who are

                 Enemies both to his Majestys Government & Religion & we

                 were by his said Excellency upon hic arrival apprived of hic

                 Majestys Instructions for revising the Laws & in Regard that

                 an Assembly was to meet in a small time It was advised to

                 defer that work till that time not that his Excellency or we

                 designed to make use of the Assemblys Assistance therein

                 but that if any thing was amiss that could be amended it

                 might be then done & we beg your Ldsps to believe that

                 both his Exy & we were more then ordinary cautious that

                 nothing should pass which in the least intrench on his Majstys

                 interest & we hope there is nothing in them that does; but if

                 there is we are heartily sorry for it & Assure your Lordships

                 its for want of Judgment not Care but as to the Law ascer

                 taining the Laws we are fully Convinced by your Ldshps

                 reasons of our oversight therein & only beg your Lordships

            p. 246    patience till the next meeting of Assembly & we doubt not

                 but that The Matter will then be concerted agreable to his

                 Majestys Intention

                  As to the Act of Religion we were very apprehensive of

                 the disagreeableness of that clause of a different nature

                 therein which was the clause of his Majstys disallowance thereof

                 but could not tho earnestly endeavoured bring it to any better

                 Frame that time but hoped for a more favourable Opportunity

                 to purge out those imperfections than what the minds of the

                 Assembly would then allow of which we hope is now in some

                 measure attained to & for that reason & withal considering

                 that the said Law had laid a considerable time before your

                 Lordships without any disapprobation of his Majesty we did

                 advise his Excy Colo Blakiston not to endeavour the Repeal

                 of that Law till his Majestys Pleasure was known thereon for

                 besides that it would have Begot in the greatest & most Emi

                 nent part of the Province who are earnestly Sollicitous for

                 establishing the Protestant Religion here an odium of his

                 Excy & us to drop that which Supported their dearest; we

                 could not certainly tell what other amendment might be

                 required besides the said Clause all which we hope by this

                 Revisal in May last is so qualified as to procure his Majestys

                 Gracious Allowance & which with the Greatest Joy & most

                 humble Acknowledgments we are sure will be Received by

                 us & all his Majstys good Subjects here & in that particularly

                 as well as in all other Affairs in Genl his Excys great Zeal &