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

Lib. J. R.
& U. S.

best Judges from hence we presume with the greatest Respect
and Deference to your Excellency humbly to remonstrate to
you the Unhappiness under which we apprehend the Justice
of Cecil County Bench hath long laboured from the Conduct
of Col: John Veazey and Col: Peter Bayard two of the
Justices thereof, at the same Time we do assure you Sir it is
with Concern we think ourselves obliged to do this, not only
from an Assurance that the Matter is unknown to your Ex-
cellency but also from a Sense of the Duty which Sir we owe
to you and our Country; some Facts we beg Leave here to
mention (viz^t) That Col: Bayard hath certified a Probate to
an Account where the Person never was sworn thereon and
antedated the same. That he hath certified an Acknowledg-
ment to a Deed of his own whereby the Creditors of the
Bargainer lost their Debts from a Fear of opposing his
Power and Influence. That he hath in a summary Way as a
Justice, ordered a Freeman to be whipped for a Felony. That
the said Col^s Veazey and Bayard have combined in making
Entries as of the Court when in Fact there hath been no
Court sitting. That Col: Veazey hath delivered the opinion
of the Court in a Matter of Controversy to be otherwise
than in Fact it was. That after a full Bench had considered
a Matter of Law, and the Justices in Court were divided in
their opinions and ordered the same to be adjourned to the
next Day for a further Hearing Col: Veazey did late in the
Evening of the same Day privately order the Clerk to enter
Judgment without the Advice or Consent of any other than
Col: Bayard and one other, whereas it ought to have re-
mained over to the next Day. That the said Colonel Bayard
in Order to be appointed Guardian to Orphans privately
sounded and required the Opinion of the Justices separately
and doubting their Assent he afterwards when himself, Col
Veazey and other Justice were in Court procured an Order
to the Clerk to make an Entry, that he the said Bayard was so
appointed, and the said Colonel Veazey did thereupon direct
the Clerk to enter that Order which Matter being afterwards
discovered by one other of the Justices and being told that an
Enquiry would be made therein by the Court did privately
direct the Clerk to strike out the said Order and no Applica-
tion was afterwards made for that Guardianship. That the
said Col^s hear Matters ex parte out of Doors, and then use
their Influence on the Bench for the party whose Cause they
espouse, and that it is frequent for the Clients to propose to
their Attornies when to bring on Motions and Trials accord-

p. 209

ing as those two Judges are for or against them, and that
where a full Court has made an Order they have ordered
their Clerk to make Entries opposite thereto and therefore