Maryland ss^t
At a Session of Assembly begun and held by Severall Pro-
rogations at the City of Annapolis on Tuesday the fifteenth
day of March in the Twelfth Year of the Reign of our Sov-
ereign Lord King George and in the Eleventh Year of the
Dominion of the Right Hono^ble Charles Lord Baron of Balti-
more Absolute Lord and Proprietary of the Provinces of
Maryland and Avalon &^c Annoq Dmi 1725/6

Were Present
The Hono^ble Charles Calvert Esq^r Governour

U. H. J.
Calvert
Papers
(726)
p. 1

the
honble

Coll. Will^m Holland
Coll. Thomas Addison
Coll. Richard Tilghman
Col^o M. T. Ward

John Rousby
Benj^a Tasker
Phil: Lee

Esq^rs

Members of the Upper House

James Stoddart and John Beale Esq^rs from the Lower
House acquaint his Hon^r the Gov^r there are a Sufficient num-
ber of their members met to proceed upon Business.
Whereupon Col^o Holland is sent down to the Lower House
to Acquaint them that his Hon^r the Governor requires M^r
Speaker and the whole House to attend him in the Council
Chamber Immediately.

Who returns and says he Delivered the Message
The Speaker and the whole House attended accordingly
and his Honour opened the Sessions with the following
Speech viz.

Gentlemen of the Upper and Lower Houses of Assembly
I am Sorry to Convene you at this unusuall time of the
Year, but it is Occasioned by the Gentlemen of the Law, who
refuse to plead the Causes begun before the Act made last
Sessions relateing to Attorneys; It is very hard the Clyents
should pay the ffees in those Causes and be nonsuited; what
the Gentlemen Practitioners said in the Chancery Court was
that the letter of the Law restrained them from pleading any
Causes whatsoever, Except they took the Oath appointed by
the Act. I could not be of their Opinion and therefore gave
them leave to plead the old Causes if they would have so
done for it would be a very great Absurdity to suppose the
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p. 2