Maryland scet
At a Session of Assembly begun and held at the City of
Annapolis in Ann Arundel County on Monday the 27^th Day
of September in the seventh Year of the Reign of our Sover-
eign Lady Ann Queen of Great Britain, France and Ireland
and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging by
Virtue of her Majesty's Writs of Election directed to the sev-
eral and respective Sheriffs of the several Counties, requiring
them to summon and call together the Freeholders and Inhab-
itants of each County and to elect and choose four Deputies
and Delegates to serve as Representatives for their several
Counties and to the Mayor Recorder and Alderman of the Citys
of Annapolis and S^t Mary's to elect and choose two Citizens
to serve for each City in this present General Assembly Which
said Writs bear Date 16^th Day of August last past returnable
to this Day At which Time were assembled in the Stadt House
several Members who having acquainted his Excellency the
Gov' of their Meeting, were by him sent for to the Council
Chamber, whereupon they withdrew and his Excellency com-
mands them to make Return to their House and make Choice
of their Speaker and present him. Whereupon they returned
and elected and chose Col^{o
Thomas Smithson to be their
Speaker and place him in the Chair and then go and present
him accordingly to his Excellency for his Approbation who
acquaints them that he approves of their Choice and willed
him to take upon him the same; then Mr Speaker on Behalf
of the House desired his Excellency that the Liberties and
Privileges of the House might be ratified and allowed by his
Excellency and that he may have free Access to his Excel-
lency's Person on all Occasions requiring the same.
Which his Excellency was pleased to assure 'em of for
which Mr Speaker in the Name of the whole House returned
his Excellency their hearty Thanks.
After which his Excellency was pleased to signify to the
House the Reason of their being now called together by be-
speaking them as followeth}

M^r Speaker and you Gentlemen Delegates,
I cannot believe but every Person here present is well satis-
fied, my Consideration of the many severe Difficulties the poor
Province labours under was the only true Reason I did not
call an Assembly sooner being desirous to demonstrate to you

L. H. J.
p. 317