536 Assembly Proceedings, April 1-19, 1706.

Original
Journal.
p. 31

2^dy Wee find in the year 1678 An Act made Intituled An
Act for Regulating of Ordinarys & Limitting the Number of
them within this Province,
wherein the then Assembly for Advancing the Revenue of
the Lord Proprietary did give to his said Lordship for every
ordinary Lycense in Saint Marys City 2000 pounds Tobacco
and in the Countys twelve hundred pounds of Tobacco Which
we presume is the first Act of Assembly that gives any Fine
for Ordinary Lycenses which was to Continue but for three
years.
By Vertue of which Act wee conceive (upon some Discourse
had with Colonell Henry Darnall) That the Lord Proprietary
out of his Especiall Favour to his Secretarys (they being his
Relations) Did give & grant the Profitts Arising from the
Ordinary Lycenses by Vertue of that Act to them. But we
find no Act of Assembly for Settling the Same on the Secre-
tary during his Lordships Government.
3^dly We find in the year 1692 that the then Assembly taking

p. 32

the Profitts arising from Ordinary Lycenses to be noe branch
of the Secretarys Office, Did by an Act made the same year
give to then Governour Copley for every Lycense to keep
Ordinary at Saint Marys two thousand pounds of Tobacco &
in the Countys twelve hundred pounds of Tobacco Which Act
was to Continue but three years S^r Thomas Laurence being
then Secretary of Maryland Who upon passing of that Act &
another of the same Sessions Entituld An Act for settling
Naval Officers Fees within this Province did go to England &
Petition'd his then Majesty King William the third that the
said Bills might not pass the Royall Assent under pretence
that the same were perquisites belonging to the Secretarys
Office.
That upon the said S^r Thomas Laurences Petition the said
Act for Navall Officers Fees was Disassented to and ordered
to remaine as a Perquisite to the Secretarys Office. But as to
Ordinary Lycenses we do not find any order from the King or

p. 33

Councill that it should or ought to be a Perquisite of the Sec-
retarys Office Whereby We Conceive that his Majesty &
Councill were of opinion that it was in the power of the
Assembly to give such Profits arising from Ordinary Lycenses
to whom they pleasd
4^thly That true it is The Assembly by an Act made in the
time of Governour Nicholson did give the profitts arising from
Ordinary Lycenses to the Secretary Which we take to be the
first Act of Assembly that ever settled the same on the Secre-
tary or made it a Perquisite of his Office Which Act was but
temporary & expired in three years. And altho the Assembly
did afterwards by other Acts Continue the Same to the Secre-