Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1740. 215

Disposition; for which purpose you will forthwith summon all
Our Councillors to attend You in Council, and communicate
to them these Instructions, that they may be the better able to
advise and assist you in the Execution of them, and in the
appointing of such Officers for the Command of the several
Companies to be raised, as are known to be Men of Interest
in their Country, & well disposed to Our Service
3. It is Our Intention, that the Troops to be raised in Our
Province of Maryland, shall consist of Companies of One hun-
dred Men each including four Serjeants, four Corporals and
Two Drummers, besides their Commission Officers, which shall
be One Captain, Two Lieutenants & an Ensign; But We have
reserved to Ourselves the Nomination of the Field and Staff
Officers, and of One Lieutenant for Each Company, who will
be Men of Experience in Service, and sent from hence for
their Assistance to meet them at the General Rendezvous
appointed in the West Indies Your Troops will likewise be
furnished, with One Serjeant for Each Company, by Draughts
of Old Soldiers out of the Four Independent Companies at
New York, for which purpose the necessary Orders will forth-
with be given; All the other Officers are left to your Nomina-
tion, and you will receive Blank Commissions under Our Sign
Manual for them, to be filled up with such Persons, as you
shall think proper, taking the Advice, & even the Recom-
mendation of Our Council therein, so far as may be consistent
with Our Service, and the Dispatch requisite upon this Subject.
But if the Number of Blank Commissions sent to you upon
this Occasion, shall happen to be more than the Companies
raised in your Government do require, You are hereby directed

Lib. C. B.

to return the Remainder by the first Opportunity to One of
Our Secretarys of State; And you shall return a List of the
Officers, whose Names you shall have inserted in any Com-
missions, by Virtue of these Our Instructions; to whom the
same shall be delivered free of all Charges, and without Fee,
Gratuity or Reward, upon Pain of Our highest Displeasure
4. You are likewise directed forthwith to issue a Procla-
mation giving Notice of Our Royal Intentions in this behalf,
inviting Our good Subjects chearfully to enlist in Our Service,
and assuring them, that the Troops to be raised in pursuance
of these Our Instructions, as well Officers as Soldiers, shall
enter into Our Pay, and enjoy the same Rank and Pay with
the Rest of Our British Troops, so long as they shall continue
in Our Service
5. And that you may be the more fully informed of Our
Pleasure, with Respect to the Troops to be raised in your
Province, We have thought fit to declare, that all the Serjeants,
Corporals, Drumers and private Soldiers shall be entitled to

p. 94