4 Assembly Proceedings, May 29-June 8, 1717.

U.K. J.

jects of the Kingdom of Ireland, w^ch we have Dissented, and
Except the Act Ascertaining the Gage & Tare off Tobacco
hogsheads &c. whereby our own revenue & the Support of our
Governm^t are Provided for, which still lies before us for our
further Consideration.
As we Cannot Enough comend the Loyalty & Zeal you have

p. 3

shewn for his Majesty & the Succession in the Illustrious
house of Hannover so none of those Laws to which we have
Assented met with a more ready Confirmacon of them than
that, which makes it penall for men to Act in Imployments
without takeing the Oaths to our Dread Sovereign King
George Whereby Protestants & Papists may Clearly Perceive
that your Lord & Propry is not as has been Maliciously sug-
gested by some A Papist in Masquerade but a true Protestant
of the Church of England in which faith he is Resolved to
live & Die
Gent. We have at heart the Welfare & Prosperity of the
people of this Province equall to that of our own and are
determined never to do anything to separate that Union which
may tend so much to the comon good. An Early Instance
hereof we manifested when we Directed Capt Hart to lay
before you on what Condicons we were willing to give up
our Quitt Rents & Alienes fines, a Condesention which nothing
but the good & relief of the poorer & more numerous part of
our People coud have prevailed with us to have Consented to
And having done so much on our part for the ease & benefitt
of the people, We are Surprized to find that you shou'd rather
Choose to give the mony which is appropriated to the support
of our Government to the only use of our Deputy for the time

p. 4

being rather than our own which with our Honour we never
Can Consent to. We have therefore Instructed our Leiv^ts Gov
once more to lay before you on what Conditions we are willing
to part with our Quit rents and Alienation fines And doubt
not but that the Planter by the ease he will find in payment of
his Rent And the Trader by the advantageous Provisoe of
Reshipping free their Tobaccoes upon any loss that shall hap-
pen to them at Sea in their voyage homewards will find their
great Benefitt thereby And that all feuds & Animosities
among our People will for the future be laid aside And the
Province continue to Increase & flourish under the family of
Baltemore
And further his Excellency was pleased to bespeak them as
foll.

Gentlemen of the Upper and
Lower Houses of Assembly The Right honbie the Lord
Propry & his Lordship's noble Guardian the Right honble the