280 Assembly Proceedings, April 22-May 10, 1718.

L. H. J.

sembly to Disable Tho^s Macnemara Esq^r in his practice of the
Law (all Cases of the Crown Excepted) Your L^dps have
already met with but too much Trouble on that head and wee
may reasonably believe you were desirous of and did Expect
to put an End to that affair by requireing him to make such
reasonable Submission as should be Approved of by your
Govern^r and Councill. But such is the unhappy Temper of
that pson that neither psuasions nor reproofs work any thing
upon his Stubborn Spirit as your L^dps will perceive by the
Relation of his Be-haviour before the upper house and by a
representⁿ of the Justices of the provinciall Court which with
other matters relateing unto his Insolent behaviour are En-
tered upon our Journalls in Assembly. It was upon these
Considerations th^t the Low^r House Resolved to bring in a bill
to Deprive the Said Thomas Macnemara Esq^r of his practice
as the most Effectuall means to prevent the like Abuses and
Indignities for the future.
Thus my L^d wee have laid before you the true State of the
most Publick Transactions of this Sessions wee have taken
Care to regulate our proceedings in Such wise to give your
L^dps no manner of Umbrage that the good People of this prov-

p. 108

ince have any thing more in View then the Honour Dignity
and true Interest of the Noble Family of Baltemore and the
Proprietary ¹ of Maryland under a Protestant Establishm^t Se-
cured by such good and Wholsome Laws as may be able to
protect it ag^t all the Endeavours of our Secret and professed
Enemies.
Wee further Humbly begg leave to lay before your Lord-
ships an Acc^t of the most Oppressive and rigorous proceedings
of Maurice Birchfield Esq^r ag^t great numbers of the Inhabit-
ants of this province which has been represented and agreed
to be an Agrievance by both houses of Assembly (To wit)
That they have been Subpenaed to app^r at the high Court of
Chancery to answer the bills of Complaint of the said Maurice
Birchfield Esq^r upon a Suggestion that they were Indebted to a
Certa[in] John Goodwin and Other Merch^ts in London before
Making any Demand or giving notice of such his Claime Some
of which never had any dealings with the Merch^ts they are
Charged Debtors To, others have been large Cred^rs Instead
of Deb^rs and many that were Debt^rs did by the said Merch^ts
Own Acc^ts Owe but very small and Trifleing sumes which by
our Laws are not Cognizable in the Chancery Court notwith-
standing which Such psons have been obliged to make an-
swers and Defend their Suites to their great Expence and

1 Thus in the original manuscript; prosperity intended, and so written in
contemporary copy.