Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1769-1770. 373

and hath been informed of Sir Thomas Adams Captain of
the Boston Man of War, and hath been carried down to Hamp-
ton in Virginia to be tryed under such Seizure in the Admiralty
Court there. Your Petitioner apprehending said Vessel not
liable to any Seizure, or to any Tryal in the Admiralty Courts
of the Colony of Virginia humbly prays that your Excellency
would take the Premisses into Consideration and Interfere

Lib. C. B.
No. 20

in the Affair by Letter to Lord Bottetourt or otherwise as to
your Excellency shall seem Expedient and as in Duty bound
he will pray &c.
Whereupon and upon Consideration of the Matter repre-
sented in the above Petitions the Members present are of
Opinion that as the River Potowmack is entirely within the
Limits of Maryland as described in his Lordship's Charter
and the Jurisdiction thereon is by the said Charter vested in
him, a Trial of the Vessels and Cargoes represented to have
been thereon Seized by Sir Thomas Adams cannot be had in
the Admiralty Court of Virginia without an Infringement of
his Lordship's Rights and therefore they think it expedient
that his Lordship's Attorney General be instructed to proceed
with all convenient Dispatch to Williamsburgh and in Case the
said Vessels shall be Libelled in the Court of Admiralty there,
to protest on behalf of his Lordship against the said Courts
exercising any Jurisdiction on the said River Potowmack
They are likewise of Opinion that it may be greatly to the
Interest of the Lord Proprietary that the Honourable Daniel
Dulany Esq^r assist the Attorney General with his Advice on
this Occasion if the Indisposition which prevented his at-
tending this Meeting will permit him to undertake the Journey.

At a Council held in the Council Chamber on Monday the
16^th day of July in the Twentieth year of his Lordship's Do-
minion Anno Domini 1770.

Present His Excellency Robert Eden Esq^r Governor.

Benedict Calvert Esq^r Walter Dulany Esq^r
The honble John Ridout Esq^r George Steuart Esq^r

The Proceedings of yesterday being Read and the Consid-
eration of the Petitions then laid before this Board being
resumed the Members are of Opinion it will be expedient that
the Attorney General carry with him an Authenticated Copy
of the Charter of Maryland and that he be directed to allow
the Petitioners to have the benefit thereof at Williamsburgh
if the Admiralty Court there should proceed to a Trial of the
Seizures.

p. 114