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

Lib. C. B.

No. 20

At a Council held at the House of the Honourable Daniel
Dulany Esq^r in the City of Annapolis on Tuesday the 17^th
day of July in the Twentieth year of his Lordship's Dominion
Anno Domini 1770,

Were Present
His Excellency Robert Eden Esq^r Governor

Daniel Dulany Esq^r Walter Dulany Esq^r
The Honble John Ridout Esq^r George Steuart Esq^r

His Excellency was pleased to lay before this Board the
following Letter to Lord Bottetourt, intended to be sent by the
Attorney General, which was Read and approved of.

Annapolis 17^th July 1770
My Lord
The Gentlemen who will have the Honour to present this
to your Lordship is M^r Jenings the Attorney General of Mary-
land who goes to Williamsburgh at this Time on Account
of a late Transaction in this Province, of which I presume
your Lordship has already received Information.

p. 115

It has been represented to me, that several Vessels lately
Seized in the River Potowmack by Sir Thomas Adams Com-
mander of the Boston Frigate or One of his Officers, are car-
ried to Virginia in order to be Libelled and Prosecuted in the
Admiralty Court in that Dominion. I need not inform your
Lordship that the whole River Potowmack is within the Limits
of Maryland as described in the Royal Charter from his Maj-
esty King Charles the First to the Right Honourable Cecilius
Baron of Baltimore Ancestor of the present Lord Proprietary
and that the several Islands which lye in the said River are
held by Patent from the Maryland Land Office, One or more
of them I am told by a Gentleman of your Council.
The abovementioned Seizures having therefore been made
within the Jurisdiction of this Province I think it incumbent
on me to intimate to your Lordship that I conceive the Ad-
miralty Court in Virginia cannot take Cognizance thereof or
intermeddle therein in any manner without an Infringement
of the Charter Rights of my Constituent, the Right honourable
the Lord Proprietary of this Province which Rights I am
confident your Lordship has not the least Desire or Inclination
to infringe, and I flatter myself you will, as far as shall be
consistent with the Duty of your Station prevent every Viola-
tion of them by any Court or Officer in your Government.
In this Confidence I recommend M^{r J}enings to your Coun-
tenance and good Offices, in Case he should find himself under
a Necessity of taking any Step on this Occasion at Williams-