308 Assembly Proceedings, February 20-28, 1721/2.

L. H. J.

a Sufficient number of Members are met to make an house.

They return and say they Delivered their Message.
Coll. Holland from the Upper house Acquaints M^r Speaker
that his Hon^r the Governour requires him and the whole house
to attend him immediately in the Upper house and with drew.
There upon M^r Speaker with the whole House go to the
Upper House.
Afterwards M^r Speaker w^th the whole House return where
M^r Speaker resumes the Chair and Reports that his Hon^r the
Governour was pleased to Express himself in the following
words viz :

Gentlemen of the Upper and Lower Houses of Assembly.
It is with the Utmost regret that I found my self under a
Necessity of Convening you at this Unseasonable Time of
the Year but as the Occasion is so evident it ushers with it a
due Apology. For Very few of the Tobacco Makers can Con-
scientiously Comply with the Oaths prescribed in the Late Act
for Meliorating Tobacco which puts such a Stop to trade as
neither planter or Merch^t is the better by that Law; for if the
people will not freight their Tobacco the Consequence to them
and the Merch^ts is too evident to need a Coment If they strip
without Complying with the Law it may Create greater
Troubles to the Courts and Charge to the people than indeed
ought to be wished: But as tis allowed that a Melioration of
Quality was and still Continues Necessary which is the Chief
designe of that Act I doubt not, but you'l readily agree That
there is a necessity for An Explanation or Amendment to the
Law for my Part there is Nothing that is proper for you to
ask and me to grant but I shall hardly concurr in for the good
of Maryland.
In as much as through the indispensible Necessity of the
above Occasion you are met; I thought it my duty to acquaint
you that Our most Gracious Sovereign in a Late Speech to
the Brittish Parliament has taken the Low State of our Trade,
into his Princely Consideration and for our relief, recom-
mended the making of Navall Stores in the[se] Parts, such
instances of his paternall, and royall Care of us must certainly
more and more indear him to all his good Subjects, and to
show our gratitude to the best of Kings, the least we can do
is to conform (what we can) with his royall Inclinations by
Encourageing the Hemp Trade, which our own Interest and
the Soil of the Province in many places, invite us to. Some
advances were made last Sessions in relation to hemp to pay
Debts contracted, in that Comodity at six pence p pound which