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Lib. M,
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Nation immediately took Possession of these Lands, and paid
their Proportion of the Taxes and demeaned themselves in
every other Respect as peaceable Subjects to Your Majesty
and unquestionable Inhabitants and Tenants of this Province,
until very lately; When through Unwariness and too much
Credulity they suffered themselves to be prevailed on to re-
nounce openly their Submission to this Governmt and to
declare their Resolution to transfer their Obedience to the
Government of Pensilvania; And in Order to account for this
their extraordinary Proceeding, they declared their Unwilling-
ness to contribute towards the Maintenance of the Ministers
of the Church of England by Law established in this Province,
and to conform themselves to such Laws and Rules for the
regulating the Militia, as this Province in their Legislature
has thought expedient and necessary for their Safety and
Defence against any foreign Enemy.
So surprizing a Behaviour endeavoured to be justified by
such Pretences so greatly alarmed this Government with the
dangerous Consequences which might ensue not only to this
Province but to Every other of Your Majestys Dominions in
America, that they thought their indispensable Duty required
their utmost Care to disabuse these deluded People, and to
make them sensible how much they had misbehaved them-
selves as Subjects to Your Majesty; For this Purpose the
proper Sheriff of the County had Orders as well to demand
and levy on those Inhabitants their just Proportion of the legal
Taxes due to this Province, as to apprehend and secure so
many of them as he could find, in Order that they might be
forthcoming to answer in due Course of Law for their Misde-
meanor in attempting to disturb the Peace of this Province by
their avowed Disobedience to the Laws thereof: And as this
Government might reasonably conclude these unfortunate
People had been privately encouraged by some Persons daring
enough to protect them against any Prosecution, therefore the
said Sheriff had Directions to take to his Assistance in the
Execution of his said Office some of the Militia of his County,
In pursuance of which Commands the said Sheriff attended
by several of the Militia repaired to that part of his County
where those Inhabitants resided; there he found them shut
up in an house (which an Armed Number of Inhabitants of
Pensilvania had taken Possession of) and after his Demand of
their being delivered to him was obstinately refused; the said
Sheriff with the said Militia departed in a peaceable Manner
and distrained some few of their Goods for their Proportion
of Taxes
This Conduct of the Government of Maryland, We humbly
hope, will appear in Your Majestys great Wisdom proper and
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