Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1761-1769. 243

This House cannot conclude without expressing their firm
Confidence in the King, Our Common Head and Father, that
the united and dutiful Supplications of his distressed Amer-
ican Subjects will meet with his Royal and favourable Ac-
ceptance.
Signed by the Speaker.
A true Copy.
Att. Samuel Adams Clk.

His Excellency informs this Board that in Consequence of
the aforegoing Letters he sent the following Message to the
Lower House of Assembly.

Gentlemen of the Lower House of Assembly
The King, our most gracious Sovereign, having been in-
formed, that a Circular Letter, a Copy of which hath been
communicated to His Ministers, was in February last sent by
the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Colony
of Massachusets Bay to the Speakers of other Houses of As-
sembly in North America, hath been pleased to order it to be
signified to me that he considers such Measures to be of a
most dangerous and factious Tendency, calculated to inflame
the Minds of his good Subjects in the Colonies, to promote
an unwarrantable Combination, to excite and encourage an
open opposition to, and Denial of the Authority of Parlia-
ment, and to Subvert the true Principles of the Constitution ;
but, while I notify to you his Majesty's Sentiments, with re-
spect to this Matter, I am also to tell you, that the repeated
proofs which have been given by the Assembly of this Prov-
ince, of their Reverence and respect for the Laws, and of their
faithful Attachment to the Constitution, leave little Room for
his Majesty to doubt of their Shewing a proper Resentment
of such unjustifiable attempts to revive those Distractions

Lib. C. B.

No. 20

which have operated so fatally to the Prejudice of both the
Colonies and the Mother Country, And I flatter myself that in
case such Letter has been addressed to the Speaker of your
House, you will confirm the favourable Opinion his Majesty
at present entertains of his Maryland Subjects, by taking no
Notice of such Letter, which will be treating it with the Con-
tempt it deserves.
June the 20^th 1768. Hor^o Sharpe

His Excellency acquaints this Board that in Answer to the
above Message he received the following Address, and re-
quests their Advice thereon.

p. 24