The Upper House. 51

Thursday Sep^r 14. 1704
Council Sate Present as yesterday

A Bill directing the manner of suing out Attachments &c
read and passed the second time for Engrossing
A Bill for Limitation of Certain Actions for avoiding Suits
at Law read the second time & does pass for engrossing
A Bill against Regrators and Ingrossers read the second
Time & passed for Ingrossing
A Bill declaring the altering or Scratching out the mark of
Tob^o or altering the Quality thereof after received without
Lawful Order or Warrant shall be deemed felony read the
second time and passed for Engrossing with the addition of
these Words (or discovered) at the End of the Law
And A Bill for publication of all Laws read the third Time
and passed for Engrossing and sent to the house by M^r
Sanders & M^r Coursey
Ordered that a Copy of what his Ex^cy was pleased to say
to the Popish Priests be delivered M^r Coursey
The following Petition preferred and read at the Board

Maryland Sct.
To his Ex^cy the Governour and her Majest^ies honble Coun-
cil of this Province
The Petition of Thomas Cockshutt Joseph Colebatch and
Henry Hall Clks Humbly Sheweth
That Whereas we are informed that Joseph Holt Clk for
some misdeameanours laid to his Charge has been lately sus-
pended by your Ex^cy and this Honble Board ab officiis et
Beneficio which penalty we are perswaded in our Consciences
cannot be inflicted upon him by any Civil Power whatsoever
as such but only by his Bishop and that too according to the
Canons of our Church and only by Virtue of the Authority
Committed to him by Christ our Lord for our office as ministers
of Christ is purely Spiritual and therefore we cannot be de-
prived of it or the Exercise thereof by any Lay Person or Per-
sons how great Soever without Sacrilegiously usurping upon
the Divine Authority Committed by Christ to his Church
which we hope is not designed by the late Suspension nor can
we see how M^r Holt could in Conscience Submitt to it if any
such Thing were intended thereby we therefore humbly be-
seech your Ex^cy and this honble Board that if the said M^r Holt
has transgressed the Laws he may be proceeded against as
they direct and not be interrupted in the Exercise of his Office
'till such time as by his Bishops Authority he may (as upon a
legal Enquiry he shall appear to deserve) be punished by sus-

Original
Journal.