Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1761-1769. 181

with Evidences and materials; the Journals of the Lower
House before 1693 and between 1696 and 1704 not being in
the Assembly Office: you are therefore requested to attend
immediately so that we may have the Inspection of the said
Journals.

We are Sir
Annapolis 19^th February 1767. Your humble Servants
To Robert Lloyd
M^r Reverdy Ghiselin Will^m Murdock
Clerk of the Secertarys Office Edw^d Tilghman
Tho^s Ringgold
Tho^s Johnson Jun.
John Hall.

This House having at this Session as well as most others
since the year 1739 passed a Bill to raise Money to Support
an Agent to be employed by them, at the Court of London to
represent their Grievances to his Majesty and transact the
Provincial Affairs and the same having been constantly re-

Lib. J. R.
& U. S.

fused by the Upper House and the Journal of Accounts having
also been refused by their Honours ever since the year 1756.
unless this House would make an Allowance by a Tax on the
People for an Annual Salary to the Clerk of his Lordships
Council of State over and above his Allowance as Clerk of the
Upper House and over and above his Fees settled by Law in
the year 1747. as Clerk of the Council contrary to their fixed
and settled Opinion that the said Clerk his reasonable reward
as well as every expence necessarily attending the Execution
of the Powers of Government ought to be defrayed out of the
Fines Forfeitures Amerciaments, 12^d p Hogshead and other
Monies received under Colour of Law to defray the Expences
of Government by which means Public Credit having been
greatly injured and in a manner annihilated and the Publick
Creditors so long kept out of their Just Claims as to be reduced
to the greatest Distress and some of them to a State of Despair
altho' this Province now hath thirty Thousand pounds Capital
Stock of the Bank of England a very Sufficient Fund to issue
Bills of Credit on to pay those Claims and give a circulating
medium to the Commerce languishing for want thereof; to
remedy those Evils and promote as far as in them lies the Ease
and Welfare of the Province this House having agreed to
carry the said Dispute between the Lord Proprietary and the
People before His Majesty in Council without any Publick
Money to pay an Agent whether his Lordship should pay the
Clerk of the Council his Claim and other necessary expences
of Government out of those Publick Revenues or whether the

p. 447