442 Assembly Proceedings, October 9-November 3, 1722.

L.H J.

solved that whoever shall Advance that his Majesty's Sub-
jects by such their endeavours and Success have forfeited any
part of their English Liberties are ill wishers to the Country
and Mistake its happy Constitucon
Resolved Also that if there be any pretence of Conquest it
can be only Supposed against the Native Indian Infidells
which Supposition cannot be admitted because the Christian
Inhabitants purchased great part of the Land they at first took
up from the Indians as well as from the Lord Prop^ry and have
ever Since Continued in An Amicable Course of Trade with
them Except some Partiall Outrages and Skirmishes which

p. 51

never amounted to a Generall Warr much less to a generall
Conquest, The Indians yet Injoying their rights and prev-
iledges of Treaties and Trade with the English of whom we
frequently purchase their rights of such Lands as we take
up as well as of the Lord Prop^ry.
Resolved further That this province hath allwaies hitherto

had the Comon Law and such General Statutes of England as

are not restrained by words of Locall Limitation in them and
such Acts of Assembly as were made in the Province to Suite
its particular Constitucon as the rule and Standard of Gov-
ernment and Judicature, such Statutes and Acts of Assembly
being Subject to the like rules of Comon Law or Equitable
Construction as are used by the Judges in construing Statutes
in England which happy rules have by his Majesty and his
Royall Ancesters And Aso by his L^pp and his Noble Ances-
ters or Some of them been hitherto Approved by having the
Comissions of Judicature to include Directions of that Nature
to the Severall Judiciall Magistrates unless those Words have
at any Time been Casually or Carelessly omitted by the
Officers in this Province that drew such Comissions That
therefore whoever shall Advise his Lordship or his Successors
to Govern by any other rules of Government are evill Coun-
sellors ill wishers to his L^pp and to Our present happy Con-
stitucon and intend thereby to infringe our English Liberties
and to frustrate in great Measure the Intent of the Crown by
the Originall grant of this Province to the Lord Proprietary
Resolved further that the aforegoing resolutions of the
House are not occasioned by any Apprehension that the L^d
Prop^ry has ever Infringed or ever had any Intention to in-
fringe the Liberties or priviledges of the People or to Govern
otherwise than According to the useage and Custom of the
Country since the first Setlement thereof but Meerly to assert
their rights and Liberties and to Transmit their sense thereof
and of the nature of their Constitucon to Posterity without
the least Designe of reflecting upon any person Whatsoever.