The Lower House. 429

As to what relates to one Person having several Offices it
was the Opinion of the Conferrees that if any Person held the
Chan^s Office, the Commissary Gen^ls Office Secretary's Office,
Sheriffs Office or Clerk of the County Courts' Office together
with any other Office or Place of Profit it is as an Aggriev-
ance: And that the House of Delegates should address the
Council Board to redress it as far as in them lies And as to
that which relates to the Sheriffs and others buying of Offices
the Conferrees then agreed it was a great Aggrievance and it
was then the Opinion of the Conferrees that for the future the

L. H. J.
Lib. 41

Justices of the County Courts in March Court before the
Sheriff's Time expires should nominate two or three psons
for Sheriffs out of which the Governor and Council should
appoint one for Sheriff We further humbly represent to the
House that those 2 seem to be the only Aggrievances amongst
all that were then offered that now require Redress both which
we are of Opinion are still Aggrievances to the Province And
it is further offered as an Aggrievance to this Committee that
for want of an effectual Redress of that which relates to the
Sheriffs who are as it were the several Counties Treasurers and
on whose Credit and good Demeanour depends the Credit
and Interest of all those that act in publick Stations as well
as of all the other Inhabitants and which therefore calls for a
most speedy and effectual Redress, There have happened
very great Burthens and Inconveniencies to many of the
Counties in this Province and particularly to Ann Arundel
County from whom it has been offered that the present Sheriff
has farmed or made over the Pfits of his Office contrary to
the Form of the Statutes of England in such Cases provided,
That he is slack and very dilatory in Payments and refuses to
accept Notes drawn upon him by those that have publick
Allowances in his Hands unless he has a Salary or Gratuity
for so doing which no other Sheriff in Maryland has ever yet
been known to scruple and has generally made those con-
cerned with him for Tobacco so uneasy in his Payments that
the Price of all publick or County Allowances of Tobacco in
his Hands has been much lessened to the great Damage of
all the Inhabitants especially of the poor Petitioners That tho'
the Act of Assembly limits the Continuances of Sheriffs for
3 years and no longer yet by such clandestine secret under-
hand Practices the same pson continues Sheriff in all Respects
but Title for many years together and by that means continues
his uneasinesses to the People. All which Things we find
tend very much to the lessening the publick Credit and the
Esteem of Tobacco and amount to a great Aggrievance. And
we further humbly offer that those Things which have been
so long Time found Aggrievances and yet remain unredressed

p. 462