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

Lib. J. R.
& U. S.

their Consideration the Memorial of William Walton Esq^r
representing that he is engaged by the Contract with the
Governor, and Royal Officers of the Spanish Garrison at S'
Augustine on the Coast of Florida to furnish that Garrison
with Provisions but being now prohibited by the Embargo
laid by your Excellency's Order in Council of the 29^th of
December last he hopes such order will be made therein as
the Case may require :
The Committee upon duly weighing the Proofs exhibited
with the Memorial, and other since taken find that this
Garrison hath been furnished with Supplies from hence
formerly by Contract from William Walton the Memorialists
Father, and since with the Memorialist from the year 1726:
to the present time except during the late War with Spain,
that S^t Augustine is a Place of very little, if any Trade, con-
sisting only of a Garrison. That the Inhabitants cultivate
no more Land than is necessary for Kitchen Gardens, and
that all Provisions imported by any other person than the
Contractor or by him over and above the Quantities de-
manded for the Use of the Garrison, are liable to Confisca-
tion, whence it is apparent they almost wholly rely for Sub-
sistence, on the Supplies the Memorialist is obliged to furnish
in Virtue of his Contract, the Breach whereof will subject
him to the Forfeiture of the Arrears due to him amounting
to sixty thousand Spanish milled Pieces of Eight. The Com-
mittee also find that the provisions furnished by the Memo-
rialist for the Garrison in the Year 1756: and what is de-
manded for the year 1757 are the Quantities specified in the
Schedule N^o 2: annexed to the Memorial, and that the Num-
ber of Inhabitants at S^t Augustine may be computed to ex-
ceed two thousand.

These Facts appearing sufficiently attested to the Com-
mittee they humbly conceive it is his Majesty's Directions,
for the laying the present Embargo cannot be construed to
extend to a neutral Port, under these Circumstances, it being
manifest from their Lordship's Letter signifying his Maj-
esty's Commands that the Trade intended to be restrained is
the Trade carried on from his Majesty's Colonies to such
neutral Ports or Settlements from whence the Enemy have
actually drawn Supplies or from whence they might be ob-
tained, and that the preventing this Mischief is the sole
Object of the Embargo, and as on the one Hand the Ad-
vantages arising to the Public by this Consumption of its
Staple, so necessary at this Time are very considerable, with-
out any Evil to be apprehended from it; and on the other the
putting a Stop to the Supplies will not only expose the Me-