Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1761-1769. 113

October, he was at a place called Sharpsburgh, in Frederick
County, where M^r Chapline was then making over Sundry
Lotts in that Town to Persons who had purchased them of the
said Chapline, and that the said Persons being solicitous to get
their Conveyances Perfected, before the Stamp Act should
take place, Col^o Sam^l Beall attended as a Magistrate to take
the Acknowledgements of M^r Chapline, that some time in the
Evening of the Day, when the above Business was transacted,
M^r Chapline was told, that there was an Express come to him,
upon which he left the Company, and returning in a very short
time, produced a Writing to the People who were Assembled,
and told them he had received it by Express, from Col^o
Thomas Cresap, in order to get it Signed by the People, that
M^r Chapline gave the Writing to Col^o Beall to read it to the
People there met, and that it was a Writing Addressed to the
Lower House of Assembly, in Substance as follows, to the
best of this Deponents' Memory and Belief viz^t It expressed a
Satisfaction of the Conduct of the Lower House, in Opposing
the Stamp Act, and intimated a Reliance that they would
Endeavour, like the Renowned antient true Roman Senate, to
Suppress any future Attempt to deprive them of their Liberty,
it also expressed, that the Signers were informed, that a very
large unjust Claim in Tobacco, was made against the Public,
by a Particular Gentleman in Annapolis, preventing the Pay-
ment of other just Claims, and desiring that if the said unjust
and dishonourable Claim should still be insisted upon, that the
Lower House would give speedy Intelligence, in order that the
Signers might come down, and cause Justice to take Place.
This Deponent saith, that after the said Writing was Read by
Col^o Beall, he this Deponent read it, and counted the number,
who had then Signed it to be about Thirty five, but that none
of the Company present, when the said Writing was Pro-
duced did Sign it in the presence of this Deponent; This De-
ponent remembers, that M^r Chapline jocularly asked Col^o
Beall if he would Sign, who answered, that he did not like
Hanging, or Words to that Effect, and this Deponent saith,
that observing the Writing to be of a Threatning Nature, he
jocularly asked, if no Riffle Men could be got from above, and
that it was then said, by some of the Company, that it was one
of the Old Colonels Schemes, by whom he understood Col^o
Cresap to be meant.
Council Chamber 11^th December 1765. David Ross.
Sworn before Henry Hooper

On Consideration of the whole, His Excellency, with the
Advice of this Board, sends to the Lower House, a Copy of the

8

Lib. J. R.

& U. S.