Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1761-1769. 125

Demands at the distance of ten years must necessarily lose
more than half by the Interest.
That these hopes however fair and rational were disap-
pointed your Excellency needs not be informed of, That no
Bills of Credit were Struck, no Payment of Public allowed
Claims made out of the Treasury in any manner whatsoever is
evident and that your Excellency did the utmost in your Power
to forward and Expedite the same your Petitioners are fully
convinced, and do thus Publickly acknowledge.
That the short Recess of Assembly so necessary during the
bad Season of the year being expired your Petitioners hoped
the General Assembly at their next Meeting might have fallen
on some Methods of adjusting their several Debates so neces-
sary for the Well being of the Province, but the late Proro-

Lib. J. R.

& U. S.

gation having placed the hopes of Relief at a much farther
distance hath rendered the Circumstances of numbers of the
unhappy Claimants truly deplorable their Credit being entirely
ruined and indeed many have already been forced to run away
from their private Creditors merely for want of having their
publick dues discharged, and others for a present Relief have
been forced to make over their Claims at a very Low Pro-
portion.
That in Times of Great Distress every little delay of Relief
is distracting: and by frequent Repetitions become intolerable
your Petitioners therefore humbly pray your Excellency will
please to issue a Proclamation for calling the Assembly to-
gether as early in the Month of April as to your Excellency
shall seem most Convenient, whereby the hope of the dis-
tressed People may be revived.
And your Petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray &c.
Signed by about Four hundred and fifty
5^th March 1766. Subscribers.

On Consideration of the above Petition this Board is of
Opinion that as the Assembly stands prorogu'd to the 1^st
Monday in May next, the short Time that could be gained is
not a Sufficient Reason for calling the Assembly sooner, they
further submit to his Excellency whether it will not be proper
to recommend in a particular manner the Case of the Peti-
tioners to the Assembly at their next Meeting.

Read the Conviction of Negro Beck whereby it appears that
the Justices of Calvert County had passed Sentence of Death
on the said Negro for setting fire to and burning the Tobacco
House and Tobacco therein contained belonging to a certain

p. 409