The Lower House. 285

Wednesday 4^th Nov^r 1713

According to Adjournment the House met and present as
yesterday only M^r Talbot being very sick.
Read what was done yesterday

The House proceed to debate the Message yesterday by
Col^o Greenberry Col^o Addison and Col^o Tilghman relating to
Treasurers and put to the Question whether the present
Treasurers be discharged or not ? Carried in the Affirmative
and Resolved the following Message be sent to the Council
Viz.
By the House of Delegates
4^th Nov^r 1713

In Answer to your Message yesterday by the Honble Col^o
Greenberry, Col^o Addison and Col^o Tilghman relating to the
publick Treasurers having been many years appointed and
their not giving Security to be none of your Omission. As to
the first we say that we have more Honour for your Honble
Board than to harbour any Thoughts that you can be of
Opinion that if any Officer be once thought necessary and
appointed it makes that Office perpetual and when found to
be of no Use the Officer cannot be removed. As to the latter
we never had the least Notion that they not giving Security
is any of your Omission neither do we belive that the bare
naming of these Officers in any Act of Assembly is such a
Confirmation to make the Officer perpetual and that the Naval
Officer for that Reason cannot be ordered otherwise to pay
the Money but desire your Honours maturely to consider the
ill Consequences of such Constructions for by that if an Officer
be once appointed it will be accounted perpetual. We charge
not your Honours with giving any Commands to the Treasurer
for paying any Money without the Concurrence of this House
and as to the Treasurer's being a Member of your Honble
Board we believe he is not thereby made the less serviceable
to the Country but think it very ill convenient he should be so
for that thereby he conceives himself to be above answering
before us and that poor People are thereby under some
Apprehension of his Grandeur and have not the same Access
as if he was not a Member of your Board neither has it ever
been so that we know of till the present Treasurer of the
Western Shore's Time We never pretended that the abso-
lute Authority of appointing Treasurers was in us without
your Honours Concurrence well knowing your Honours to be
both a good and useful Part of the Legislative Power of this
Province but we believe your Honours and this House without
the Consent of a Governor can either appoint or discharge
such Officers and think no Time better than now and have

L. H. J.
Lib. 41