& rest our Provinces on a Sure Footing, against all Events
of Time. The great share you have Acted, with Duty
Respect & Regard to his Majesty & his Lord^p your Pro-
prietor is well Satisfied therewith, and all friends here are
of Opinion that had yo^r Strength by Forces been in any
proportion to yo^r Resolution & abbilities your Country wou^d
have Reaped Both Honour & Advantage from you: And
tho, your Command of his Majesty's Forces E'er this may
have ceased w^th you on the General's Arrival from hence,
My Lord is happy by Experience from you, your being his
Governor & Command^r in Chief of his Province, as likewise
all will be Committed to your Care

The Proprietor, Vigilant to the Advantages of his Prov-
ince and True to his promise sent, contain'd in his Answer
to his Lower House of Assembly, on their desire Communi-
cated to him to Obtain a free Importation of Foreign Parts
to the Province he has taken the most Carefull Steps to the
Gain of it, & in order thereto has got the Earl of Granville
President of the Council, the Lords of the Treasury, and of
Trade Consent, as a right thing to have moved for the
bringing in a Bill into the Parliament for that Purpose;
This seems a likely Security for the Carrying it, but I fear
it; for the outward appearance of Men in power is so differ-
ent to their inward Govern'd Chiefly by private Views, that
things are often Subject to change w^th them on the day of
Tryal; I hope in this instance I am a wrong Prophet. Lord
Vis. Barrington is to move the Pet" for the Bill next Thurs-
day, M^r Aldm" Baker of London intends strongly to Oppose
it. I have done all I can to Draw him off, To no purpose;
he is of New York & belongs to the Province as a Coresp^d
by Pecuniary Commissⁿ the measure of self Interest makes
him obdurate ag^t any other Province obtaining the Bill as it
may be a loss to them that have it & are become Salt-Sellers
to all the other Colonys, Granted them by Parliament the
Importation of it from Foreign parts. Whatever Turn this
affair takes, I assure you the Lord Proprietor has done his
part to the Gain of it for Maryland; If it should turn out
contrary he can't help it, as he must submit it & his Province
to the over Ruling Powers & to Publick or Private Interest
here at home. M^r Aldermⁿ Baker's Objection is, w^th others
who hint opposition all Numbers that the Intention of the
Marylander's is to Gain by Illicite Trade, That they cure no
Fish nor will they, I answer'd if that was real Truth the
Objection was the same ag^t the Provinces that had the
Lycence of Importation, Maryland pray'd for; if really a
detriment to England by Clandestine Trade, than a Repeal-