The Lower House. 633

of Complaining of the rigorous and unjustifyable proceedings
of Maurice Birchfield Esq^r and his Substitute here in his Maj-
estys name, and by Colour of his Authority to the prejudice
of his Subjects, yet for want of a Clear representation of our
Case Injurious Oppressors Seem justified by the Opinion of
the Honourable the Commissioners of the Customs, and the
Innocent Sufferers loaded with the Imputation of makeing
groundless Complaints and being Clamorous.
We have reason to be discouraged in all our future Applica-
tions if what we make on this occasion with your Excellency's
kind Assistance, (which we Earnestly Implore) should now
fail us. We must then Look on our selves under an unhappy
necessity of Submitting to the Dictates of any of his Majestys
Officers at home however they be Misinformed or deceived
Concerning us or the States of our Cases. But we hope for
better things and that if your Excellency will please to permit
us to referr to our former Representation on this head and
also to the papers relateing thereto in our Agent Coll Blackis-
ton's hands, whose Assistance in this Case we Doubt not of,
and also to the Abstracts from the Chancery Dockets under
the hand of the proper Officer and the Great Scale of this
Province you will have it in your power Sufficiently to evince
the Justice of our Case to the Sattisf action of all that Question
our Candour in that representation.
By the Experience of your good inclinations towards us in
other affairs we Doubt not but in this you will add to the many
Obligations by which we are Bound ever to pray for your
prosperity.

Thereupon the Question was put, whether the house will
Concurr with that Report or not.

L. H. J.

Carried in the negative by the Majority of Votes, and Or-
dered the following Message be prepared Viz.

By the Lower House of Assembly Aprill the 22^d 1720

May it please Your Honours
This House on reading the Report from the Gent appointed
to make a further Representation of the aggrievances Com-
plained of against Maurice Birchfield Esq^r Cannot Concurr
therewith for that it is Contrary to the Votes of this house
Yesterday past in relation thereto.
Signed p order M: Jenifer Cll: Lo Ho.

And sent to the upper house by Coll Mackall and five others.
They return and Say they Delivered it.

p. 78