542 Assembly Proceedings, September 23-October 26, 1723.

U. H. J.

Then the House went upon the consideration of the Bill,

directing the manner of Recovering Fines for not appearing

at the clearing of High ways, and the Bill being Read the
following Indorsem^t was made thereon viz.

By the Upper House of Assembly Oct^r the 15^th 1723
Read and will Pass.
Signed p order Sam^l Skippon Cl Up Ho.

Which Bill so Endorsed was sent to the Lower House by
Benjamin Tasker Esq^r
Col^o Young and Col^o Tilghman appointed by this House to
confer with Daniel Dulany Esq^r and five others concerning the
great Delay of Busieness &^ca made their Report of the s^d con-
ference to the House; which is as follows viz.

At a Conference held at John Jordan's October the 12^th
1723 Concerning the great Delay of Busieness in the Provin-
cial Court occasioned by the Length of Time taken up in the
Tryal of Criminals & to propose a method to ease the People
of that inconvenience.

p. 88

Present of the Upper House
The honble Col^o Samuel Young Richard Tilghman Esq^r
Of the Lower House

Daniel Dulany Esq^r M^r Robert Tyler John Beale Esq^r
Capt. Henry Hooper Capt. Robert King M^r John Oldham

Made Choice of Col^o Young for Chairman and M^r Geo.
Plater to be Clerk
Adjourned till Monday

Then met and Proceeded as followeth
The Conferees are of Opinion that the Appointing three
of the Justices of the Provincial Court on each Side of the Bay
and the impowering any two of them together with one or two
of the County Justices, to hear and determine all Criminal
Cases not tryable in the County Courts and all Civil Actions
that shall be Commenced in the Provincial in the several
Counties where they shall Arise, will be the best Expedient
that can be thought of to Remove the Inconvenience Com-
plained of and the most Agreeable to our Constitution for the
following Reasons

1 That it is Agreeable to the manner of proceeding in like

Cases in England where by several hundred years Experience
Tryals by the neighbourhood (who must Certainly be the most