The Lower House. 591

petition Preferred to your house against him the Coppy
whereof has been produced to us under your Clerk's hand
by which it appears he Stands charged with great partiality
in the Execution of his Office as a Land Commissioner, and
the said Thomas Addison Esq^r haveing represented to us that
the said petition without his being ever called to Answer there-
to is by your house referred to the Consideration of the next
Sessions of Assembly by which means he is not only deprived
of the present Oppertunity of Justifieing his Conduct in the
discharge of his Office Aforesaid, But further declares he
cannot think it proper for him to act in those other Eminent
Stations he has the honour to be advanced to in this Govern-
ment untill he shall have acquitted himselfe of the facts Im-
puted to him in the said Petition, and forasmuch as we think
it Unreasonable that any Gentleman, and Especially those
who Occupy such Honourable Imployments in the Govern-
ment should be Taxed after such an undecent Manner with
Notorious Crimes and be Denyed a Speedy Oppertunity of
Justifying themselves,
We therefore in the most pressing Manner desire, that a
day may be Assigned dureing the Continuance of this Sessions
for the Examination of the facts set forth in the said petition
and to give the said Thomas Addison Esq^r an Oppertunity of
Answering for himself and as an Inducement thereto, we have
herewith Sent you the Letter before mentiond whereby you
may perceive what Scandalous Liberties have been taken to
abuse him on other Occasions.
And we the more Earnestly press this matter to your Con-
sideration as a member of this House is Concerned therein.
Signed p Order John Beale Cl: Up: Ho:

L. H. J.

9^th April 1720.

May it please your Excy.
Its now ten years that I have had the Honour to be Im-
ployed in Some Stations of Eminent Trust in this Government,
and most humbly begg Pardon that I appeale to your Excy
whether (Since your Arrival here, which is near Six years
of that time) I have not Served my Country with my Constant
Attendance and application. What may be wanting in Ca-
pacity I can't account for, But thought it my duty on the Com-
mand of my Sovereign To Imploy the best of my Ability that
way, and Should Continue most Chearfully so to do if I might
with Honour, but when mens names in Such Stations as
oblige them to the conservation of the peace are Treated in all
Conversations (where they are absent) by the Bare terms of
Little mean Rascally fellows and Taxed with such Vilainous

p. 32