The Upper House. 207

find out some Speedy relief against the ill practices of Sher-
riffs selling men's Estates for little Value to the ruin of their
Widows and Orphans being read this Board are pleased to
declare that they have already represented the deplorable
Circumstances of the Province in General to the Right hon-
ourable the Lords Commissioners of Trade and Plantations
and desired their Lordships to lay them before her most
Sacred Majesty in order to the Advancing the Value of
tobacco in great Brittain. And as to the particular Complaints
of the ill practice of Sherriffs (if any such illegal or indirect
practice be made appear to be used by any Sherriff in Selling
the Estates of any the Inhabitants at under Rates) This
Board will advise the honble President to punish such Sher-
riff or Sherriffs not only by displacing them but by giving
directions that they shall be prosecuted according to the ut-
most Severity of the Law
L^t Col Hoskins & seven more of the Delegates brought up
the following Answer to the honourable President's Speech
at the opening of the Session Viz.

To the honble Edward Lloyd Esq^r President of her Majesty's
honourable Council in Maryland & Commander in chief thereof

We acknowledge ourselves abundantly obliged to return
our hearty thanks not only for your prudent timeing of this
Session but for the generous regard you have at all times had
for the Honour of her Majesty for making easy the annual
Charge of the Province and for the general Welfare of the

U. H. J.

Inhabitants thereof And as we have hitherto had Sufficient
Reason to applaud the Ingenuity of your Administration in
making your Duty to her Majesty and love to her Subjects so
eminently appear that none Can accuse you of neglect in
Either We hope we shall not have less reason so to do at
the End of this Session than heretofore we have had
We shall be very glad of the opportunity of joining with
you and her Majesty's honourable Council in the dispatching
the Business of this Session & making it as short as the pres-
ent Exigencies of the Province will allow but as the very
meeting of this General Assembly is a considerable Charge &
the setting thereof the greatest which we are to tax we hope
we shall do more before we part than barely tax that charge
our meeting has created

Her Majesty's Instructions are so well remembered that we
shall not propose the passing any Acts that are not immedi-
ately necessary for the peace & Welfare of this Province And
therefore We assure ourselves of the more ready Concurrence
of your Honour and her Majesty's honble Council here to

p. 806