Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1740. 229

the Resolutions of the Lower House of Assembly in this Prov-
ince to represent this Government and Ourselves to Your
Majesty in some injurious and disadvantagious Light, We
most humbly beg Leave to approach your Majesty with this
Address, That by laying before your Majesty the Conduct of
the same Lower House in only One Instance (among many
Others) We most humbly presume their extraordinary Views
& Desires to assume to themselves all Power and Authority,
will appear to have so great Influence in their Consultations,
as to render every Opposition to their irregular Proceedings,
and unwarrantable Expectations, in their Opinions a Grievance
and Matter of Complaint; Wherefore We most humbly take
the Liberty of informing Your Majesty, that by temporary
Acts of Assembly for about twenty five years past there has
been Money annually raised by a Duty of Three pence on
Every hogshead of Tobacco exported out of this Province,
and expressly appropriated for the Purchase of Arms and
Ammunition for it's Defence, but in March 1734/5 An Act
raising the like Duty, and to the same Uses and Purposes
was made, and to continue for Three Years and to the End
of the next Session of Assembly after the said Three Years,

Lib. C. B.

which Act being in Force in 1 739 This Lower House of Assem-
bly absolutely refused to revive or longer continue
We Your Majestys Loyal Subjects being as an Upper
House of Assembly One distinct Branch of the Legislature
and sensible of the defenceless and unguarded State of Our
Frontiers, and unarmed Condition of Our Inhabitants, took
Notice of this Disposition of the Lower House towards a Law
which so immediately related to the Safeguard and Preserva-
tion of this Province, and pressed them to a Revival or Con-
tinuance of that Act, by representing that it nearly concerned
the Honour and Preservation of this Part of your Majestys
Dominions, especially at this Time of Uncertainty, whether
there would be War or Peace in Europe, and that it would
not be adviseable for the Governor to pass any Bill, which
might make a Session and determine that Act for Arms and
Ammunition for Defence of the Province, unless such Act
should be revived or continued; These Considerations having
no Effect on their Unwillingness to continue that Act, The
Assembly was prorogued without the Passage of One Bill into
a Law, so that no Session was made, principally that the same
Act for Arms and Ammunition might still continue in force
We were in hopes, May it please Your Majesty, that the
Lower House at the Session held in April 1740 would have
been thoroughly convinced by Our Actual War with Spain,
and the Rumour of One with France (whose Settlements are
near and dangerous to Our Frontiers) of the Reasonableness

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