174 Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1 739.

Lib. C. B.

Also was produced the following Letter

M^r Ghiselin
I am ordered by the present standing Committee of the
House of Delegates as Clerk to the said Committee to apply
to you for the Key of the Assembly Office, and at all Times to
have the Liberty of Recourse to any of the Records Journals
or Papers therein or thereto belonging therefore I now desire
that you would send me the Key by the Bearer hereof or by
your Man as soon as possible
from Yours &c
Annapolis 19 June 1739 S: Bordley
To M^r W^m Ghiselin in Annapolis
This

p. 43

Upon Consideration whereof This Board is of Opinion that
No Members of the Lower House can be qualified by Virtue
of any Order made in the last Convention of Assembly to act
as a Committee of the said House after the Prorogation and
during the Interval of the Assembly and that the Exercise of
any such Authority or Power is not only unwarrantable &
illegal, but is an Encroachment on, and has a Tendency to
overthrow the Authority which every Governor in his Majestys
Dominions is invested with, of proroguing and dissolving As-
semblies, and that therefore it might be of very mischievous
Consequence to give the least Countenance to such a Proceed-
ing even by overlooking it, or not taking a due Notice thereof
Wherefore this Board is of Opinion that Every Officer
should be cautioned and directed not to submit to or comply
with any Command Request or Application made or to be
made by or under the pretended Authority of any such
Committee
But forasmuch as this Board out of a dutiful Regard to his
Majestys Authority and sincere Desire for the Welfare and
Satisfaction of the Good People of Maryland, who may be
made uneasy by Notions of imaginary Grievances, while they
neglect their true and real Interest, is unwilling to give the
least Stop or hinderance to any Application to the Throne
from his Majestys Subjects in this Province on Account of the
Irregularity of the Proceedings or ill Practices of any of their
Representatives It is ordered that the Chief Clerks of the
Provincial Court and Land Office shall transcribe Copies of all
such Writings and Papers in the said Offices as shall be
thought necessary to carry on such Application, and shall be
applyed for by any Person whatsoever such Person paying or
securing the usual fees due for such Services