The Lower House. 69

Dissented to the Late Act made for Limitation of Officers
ffees Yet we Cannot in our Judgment approve thereof, well
knowing that tis neither for our Honour or the Peoples
Interest, in the Dispatch of their Business That Publick
Ministers should be deprived of those Allowances which by
Law they have Enjoyed; and w^ch ought not only to be Suffi-
cient to pay them for their Labour, but Large enough to
encourage Industry and integrety in Men of Ability to Ad-
minister the affairs of the Government, whether actually
residing in the Province, or attending the person of yo^r Lord
and Proprietary wherever he is.
Gentlemen, The Ease, we find in the Receipt of the Severall
Duties on Tobacco Settled in Lieu of our Quitt Rents &
Alienation Fines and the better to enable us to Support our
Government whereby you are protected together with the Great
benifit & advantage which the poorer and more numerous
part of the Inhabitants of our Province reap from thence in

L. H. J.

the Nonpayment of their Rents as reserved, has induced us,
for the Common Good to Consent & Recommend to you to
pass a Law for Continuance of the Act Entitled an Act Ascer-
taining the Gauge and Tare of Tobacco hh^ds &c. to Commence
& remain in force for Three years to Come from the Expira-
tion of the said Act, Whereby the af^d Dutys arise: and we
Cannot think you'll need to be put in Mind to Continue the
Act for regulating of Ordinaries for the reasons (amongst
many others) recited in the preamble thereof.
We are much Concern'd Gentlemen that you our friends &
Tenants, his Maj^tys good Subjects can have no Expectation
of Benefit from the Duty of one penny p pound laid on
Tobacco Transported from Plantation to Plantation his Late
majesty King William of Glorious Memory having by let-
ters Patents under the great Scale of England settled the
Same forever on the Colledge of Virginia. But do not doubt
with your Assistance by our Owne power to Establish such
a fund for Encouragement of Learning in Maryland as to
Answer the very pious & Worthy Design of Supporting the
Free School already built at Annapolis; but to make it so
Effectually usefull, That yo^r own Children, there made Ca-
pable, may reap the Advantage of Discharging the Severall
Offices of Government both in Church & State to the Con-
version of yo^r Neighbours and fellow Citizens from the
Superstition of the Church of Rome, and to the manifest good
of us all in the Equall Distribution of Justice.
Baltemore
Guilford

p. 10