Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1769-1770. 337

ously Scourged by his Order by the Hand of a Slave, and
when, upon Complaint made to the Delegates of the People,
whose Right and Duty it is to inquire into and present all
Grievances of a Publick Nature we find the Sheriff refusing
to pay Obedience to Our Process, and to avoid an Inquiry not
only absenting himself from his County, where by the Duty of
his Station he ought at all Times to be found, and amenable to
Complaints, but even from the Province, we hope your Ex-
cellency will think us excusable if we feel and express some
warmth of Resentment towards M^r Lee, and under these
Circumstances we cannot but think it a Justice due to the
Public that the said Richard Lee junior should be removed
from his Office of Sheriff of Charles County as being unworthy
of and unfit for so important a Trust, and we do earnestly
request that your Excellency will be pleased to remove him.
Rob^t Lloyd, Speaker

To the Honourable the Lower House of Assembly of the
Province of Maryland.

The Petition of John Doncastle a Languishing Prisoner
in Charles County Goal, Humbly Sheweth.

Lib. C. B.

No. 20

That your unfortunate Petitioner on the 5^th day of Novem-
ber 1768 were delivered by Charles Somerset Smith Esq^r into
the Goal of Richard Lee Esq^r Sheriff of Charles County and'
the House not finished and leaky in the Roof and so open that
the Snow and Rain drove in and the Floor continually wet
dropping down on our Beds and the Floor covered with Ice
and our Beds and Bed Cloaths continually wet and frequently
frozen Stiff that I could have broke my Bed Cloaths like Ice,
we wrote to the Sheriff praying for Fire and let him know our
Condition the answer was let me hear no needless Complaints.
The Cold Winds blowing through the House and the snow
driving on us and our Beds, in this Deplorable Condition we
Continued till the 24^th day of December then the sheriff sent
in a Kettle to make a fire in but as there was no Chimney to
vent the smoak but a hole in the Door eight Inches wide and
Twelve Inches deep it is impossible to describe what we
suffered with the Smoak yet we were obliged to bear it or be
froze to Death as some of us were frost bit and all sick with a
disorder in our Heads and Eyes occasioned by the Smoak and
hardship we had suffered with wet and cold and continued in
this deplorable Condition till the 27^th day of February 1769.
then a Runaway Negro belonging to Walter Stoddard who
was attempting to break out of the Criminal Room and being
discovered by a Negro Man the Sheriff came into the Goal and
after he had Cursed and Abused all the Debtors in a cruel man-

p. 90