370 Assembly Proceedings, October 6-November 6, 1725.

L. H. J.

other Indians, and Erected New Cabbins which have been
Inhabited by them untill this time Edward Wright their
Tenant having as they say held possession for them all the
while.
By which it appears Evidently to this Comittee that the
Legislature ought not to have been Charg'd with Injustice
in preventing Cap^t Rider from disturbing the Indians in their
Possession seeing that if the first takers up of the Land
Claimed, have not already Rec^d an Equivalent from his Lord-
ship as in the Case of Edmondsons Guiny Plantation upon
the Choptank Indian tract Yet his Estate in those Lands
Cannot by the Rules of Law Commence untill after a Deser-
tion or Leaving the Place by the Indians which is the Intention
of the Act of 1698 which we are humbly of Opinion they

p. 72

have not yet done for Cap^t Rider bought those Lands with no
other views nor gave he any other Consideration as it is said
for them than as for an Estate in Reversion after the In-
dians should Leave and Totally desert the Place According
to the true Intent and Meaning of the Proviso in the Act
above Mentioned Marked C. C. which Intention hath been
frequently Explained by the Legislature and a hearing be-
tween Cap^t Rider and the Indians before both Houses of As-
sembly at which time there happened a Remarkable Instance
of the good sence of those Salvage People, for after the
Matter had been Resolved in favour of the Indians Harry
Coursey the Emperour was advised to Return home but Re-
fused and said that he would Stay in town untill the Act
Should be past that he might know whether Cap^t Rider or he
was to be Emperour of Chiccocan.
It appears also to this Comittee to be a gross Reflection
upon the Justice of both Houses, that Cap^t Rider should al-
ledge in his Case that it appeared to them that the Indian
Estate to the Lands in Question had determined and that the
Late Law Marked E. E. was made with Design of Restoring
them to the same again with a Stronger and fuller Title, but the
Gent^s freedom in taxing the Justice of the Legislature will
turn to his own Shame upon Enquiry into the true Motives of
that Act which are Expressly Declar'd in the Journall 1723
to have arisen from fresh Complaints as it is said in that
Journall Ever since the Last Sessions (wherein an Ordinance
of Assembly had been made in favour of the Indians upon
Sundry Complaints to the Gover^r and Councell) that Cap^t
Rider had Molested the Nanticoke Indians and would not
Suffer them to Cultivate any part of their Lands, and Cap^t
Rider himself after the Making of the Act Petitioned the
Gov^r and Councell to have the Liberty of Purchasing or Leas-