Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1753-1761. 103

20^th What are the Establishments Civil and Military with-
in your Government & by what Authority do the Officers
hold their Places ?
It is desired that a Return may be made to these Queries
every Six Months, that the Board may from time to time be
apprized of any Alterations that may happen in the Circum-
stances of your Government.

His Excellency is Pleased to lay before this Board the
following Letter

Gentlemen
On Board the Vessel by which you Receive this are the
familys that I spoke of in my Letter of the Tenth Instant
the Skipper has Orders to put them on Shore at Upper

Lib. J. R.

& U. S.

Malbro whence I hope they will be taken and distributed as
soon as Possible Agreeable to my abovementioned Letter I
would have you Caution them against Stragling from the
Plantations where they may be Settled and let them know
that Orders are given to the Troops on the Western Fron-
tiers to destroy without hesitation any of them that may be
Seen in that Part of the Province and that the Attempt of
any one to make off will deprive the Rest of the Liberty they
will otherwise be permitted to enjoy.
I am Gentlemen
Your Humble Servant

Ordered by his Excellency the Governor that the following
Proclamation be Entered

By the Right Honourable the Lord Proprietary
A Proclamation

Whereas Several of Our Tenants in this Our Province
do under Colour of old Grants Obtained from our Noble
Ancestors hold Several Acres of Land as Compraized within
the Metes and Descriptions of such Grants more than the
quantities therein Expressed and more than were by the orig-
inal Patentees applyed for or by our said Ancestors Intended
to be Granted to such Persons Respectively without having
heretofore Paid any Purchase Money Quit Rent or Other
acknowledgement for such Surplus, which being to Our said
Ancestors a manifest fraud, and a Glaring Injury to ourself
might (were we disposed to proceed with Rigor) prompt us
to a means of redress not only destructive of any Pretence of
Claim to such Surplus lands as af^d but likewise Subversive
of what Titles such Patentees or those who Claim under them
may have to the true Quantities of Land Applyed for and

p. 83