Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1749. 451

that your Petitioners may not be unjustly deprived of the
Sacred Rites and Priviledges of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
but may have free access thereto at the discretion of the
Reverend Nathaniel Whiteker Rector of the said Parish
Acting as becometh his Function in due Subjection to the
Canons and Constitutions of the Church of England in that
behalf Lawfully Established and Promulged.
And Your Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever Pray &c^a
August 31^th 1748.

Signed by Thomas Lambden & forty Nine more.

Upon reading the said Petition This Board is of Opinion
that They have no Authority to use any compulsive Means,
but that the Petitioners Remedy is at Law.

At a Council held in the Council Chamber on Wednesday
the 14^th Day of June in the 35^th year of his Lordships Domin-
ion Annoq Dni 1749
Present

His Excellency Samuel Ogle Esq^r Governor

Lib. C. B.

The honble -

Benjamin Tasker Esq^r
Col George Plater
Col Charles Hammond
Sam^l Chamberlaine Esq^r

Philip Thomas Esq^r
Daniel Dulany Esq^r
Richard Lee Esq^r

His Excellency is pleased to lay before this Board the fol-
lowing Letter received from the Governor of Virginia.

Williamsburgh 25 May 1749
Sir

I thought my self indispensibly obliged to give you the most
Speedy Information of a Piece of Villainy lately Committed
and to Request the favour of you to exert your Authority
towards apprehending the Offender if in your Government
that he may be Proceeded against according to Law, and
Receive the Punishment due to his Iniquity
A Vessel from the Isle of May bound to your Province call-
ing at Hampton in her Passage up the Bay, the Commander
of our Station Ship Captain Maisterson dispatched his boat
to enquire what news, and get some hands out of her, His
Crew no sooner was on Deck than most of the Sailors entered
Voluntarily into his Majestys Service and the Boat returning
with them to the Man of War they immediately desired
Captain Maisterson to demand their Wages of their former
Master who they said was a Rogue for he had then in his Ship

p. 371