436 Assembly Proceeding s, Oct. 25-Nov. 10, 1709.

L. H. J.
Lib. 41.

It's humbly offered as an Aggrievance that Charles Carroll
and Amos Garrett and others of the City of Annapolis ask,
require, take, demand, and extortiously receive of her Majesty's
Good Subjects of this Province ten Pounds p Cent more than
their Debts due upon Bills of Exchange under Pretence of Ex-
change of Money and that directly openly and avowedly in Con-
tempt of this House useing reproachful Speeches against it tell-
ing the People to thank their Assembly Men for it in making
the Act for ten p Cent and that they have writ for England to get

p. 234

the said Act and the Act for Relief of poor Debtors dissassented
to by her Majesty protesting that let the Assembly make what
Laws they please it shall not effect them they having Money and
Interest enough at Home to procure a Dissassent to any Law
that pleases them not All which is in Contempt of this House
and the Authority thereof and tends much to the impoverishing
the People of this Province and strikes at the altering the Con-
stitution thereof. The Committee humbly desires the House
to consider thereof and that the said Carroll and Garrett may
answer their Contempt to this House Signed p Order
Jn^{o
Beale Clk. Com.}

Which was read and debated and and it's Resolved That
the Committee of Laws prepare a Bill to prevent the taking
10 p Cent or anything more than what is allowed by Law for
the future. The Committee of Aggrievances further report.
That it is represented to this Committee as an Aggrievance
That whereas the Lawyers practising the Law in the several
Courts within this Province upon the Delivery of a protested
Bill of Exchange (where there are several Indorsers) to them
by their Clients to be put in Suit for the Recovery of the Debt
for which the Bill is drawn together with the Damages of Pro-
test; the Lawyers upon Receipt thereof for Lucre to them-
selves without perhaps any Profit to their Clients immediately
issue out Writs as well against the Drawer as the several
Indorsers and prosecute them to Judgment (if not agreed) by
which Means the Charge against the said Drawer and Indorser
amounts to more than the Debt sued for which if there was
but only one sued the Pltff might get his Debt as well as suing
the whole so long as it is at the Plaintiff's Choice to take either
the Drawer or any one of the Indorsers as is best able to pay
the Debt demanded All which is humbly offered to the Con-
sideration of the Honble House of Delegates to consider thereof
Signed p Order Jn^{o
Beale Clk Com.}

Which being read and debated in the House Resolved it is
an Aggrievance and referred to the Consideration of the next
Session of Assembly to remedy the same