At a Sessions of Assembly begun and held by several Pro-
rogations at the City of Annapolis in the Province of Mary-
land on the 2^d Tuesday in July being the Twelfth day of the
same month in the Twelfth year of the Reign of our Sov-
ereign Lord King George and in the Eleventh year of his
Lordships Dominion &c^a Annoq Dmi 1726

Present
The Hono^ble Charles Calvert Esq^r Governour

U. H. J.
Calvert
Papers

(727)
p. I

the Honble

Col^o William Holland
John Hall Esq^r
Col^o Tho Addison
Philemon Lloyd Esq^r
Col^o M. T. Ward

John Rousby
Benj^a Tasker
Philip Lee
Nicholas Lowe

Esq^rs

Members of the Upper House

Col^o Mackall and Col^o Tho: T. Greenfield from the Lower
house acquaint his Honour the Governour that there are a
sufficient number of their House met to proceed upon Busi-
ness and that they waite to know his Commands.
Whereupon John Hall Esq^r is sent to acquaint them that
his Honour requires the Speaker and the whole House to
attend him in the Councill Chamber Immediately

He returns and says he Delivered his Message

The Speaker and the whole House attend accordingly and
his Honour was pleased to open the Sessions with the follow-
ing Speech Viz.

Gentlemen of the Upper and Lower Houses of Assembly
Severall Petitions having been Delivered to me, from the
Inhabitants of diverse parts of this Province Complaining
of the low state Tobacco is reduced to, and humbly desire-
ing that the Assembly might be Convened in order to fall
upon some method to relieve our selves in these melancholy
Circumstances; I (having nothing more at heart than the
good of the Province) have thought fit with the advice of his
Lordships Council to Convene you that you may have an
opportunity to make the Staple a real benefit to us; in order
to which it will be proper to Consider to what Causes the
present lowe price of Tobacco is owing which I take to be
Chiefly these the sending home Trash Tobacco, and the un-

p. 2