Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1740. 197

the King of Spain, on the fourteenth Day of January last
N: S: by which Convention it was Stipulated, that a certain
Sum of Money should be paid at London, within a Term
therein specifyed, as a Ballance admitted to be due on the
Part of Spain to the Crown and Subjects of Great Britain ;
which Term expired on the 25^th Day of May last, and the
Payment of the said Sum was not made according to the
Stipulation for that Purpose; by which Means the Convention
above mentioned was manifestly violated and broken by the
King of Spain, and Our Subjects remained without any Satis-
faction, or Reparation for the many grievous Losses sustained
by them; and the Methods, agreed upon by the said Conven-
tion, in Order to the obtaining future Security for the Trade
and Navigation of Our Subjects, are, contrary to good Faith,
frustrated & defeated; in Consequence of which, We found
Ourselves obliged, for vindicating the Honour of Our Crown,
and for procuring Reparation, and Satisfaction for Our injured
Subjects, to order that general Reprisals should be granted
against the said King of Spain, his Vassals and Subjects, and
their Ships Goods & Effects: And Whereas the Court of
Spain has been induced to colour the open Violation of the
Convention aforesaid by Reasons and Pretences, which are
void of all Foundation, and at the same time has not only
published an Order, signed by the said King, for seizing the
Ships, Goods and Effects belonging to Us, and Our Subjects,
wherever they shall be met with, but has caused Seizures to be
actually made of the Goods and Effects of Our Subjects resid-
ing in his Dominions, and has also ordered Our said Subjects
to depart out of the Spanish Dominions, within a short limited
Time, contrary to the express Stipulation of the Treaties be-
tween the Two Crowns, even in Case of a War actually de-
clared: We have taken into Our Royal and most serious
Consideration these Injuries, which have been offered to Us,

Lib. C. B.

and Our Subjects, and the manifest Violation of the several
Treaties subsisting between the Two Crowns, all which have
been in many Particulars eluded, or evaded by the unwarrant-
able Behaviour of the Court of Spain, and their Officers, not-
withstanding the repeated Instances We have given of Our
Desire to cultivate a good Understanding with the King of
Spain, and the essential Proofs of Our Friendship and Regard
for him and his Family, which We have demonstrated to all
the World; and being fully satisfied, that the Honour of Our
Crown, the Interest of Our Subjects, and that Regard which
ought to be had to the most solemn Treaties, call upon Us to
make Use of the Power which God has given Us for vindi-
cating Our undoubted Rights, and securing to Our loving
Subjects the Privileges of Navigation and Commerce to which

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