The Upper House. 145

Nelsons middle Room where they sometimes dress Victuals and
there was a Company of about ten or Dozen men sitting in said
Passage amongst which there was one man had a Sword by his
Side (who as this deponent was inform'd was Major Samuel Perrie
who upon sight of this Deponent damn'd him and [asked] him
several times if he was for a Tobacco Law or not if he was he should
have some Punch if he was not he should have none and that his
Room was very good Company this deponent also saith that an Old
man that lost some money at dice that night they call Drury swore
that M^r Perrie or himself should fight him either with a Sword or
without it this deponent further saith that it instantly came into his
mind of Mobs that constrains Persons either to Agree with their
Sentiments or to be knocked down the Consequence that might
happen he did not know however answered 'em as followeth, first
that if he wanted any Punch he could have it without being Obliged
to them, Secondly that his declaring himself for or against a To-
bacco Law wou'd be of no Service to the Country because he had
no vote in the House of Assembly but as he had a Family to main-
tain shou'd be very glad of a Tobacco Law provided 'twas a good
one, Thirdly he further saith he told 'em that if he had disobliged
any of the Company he should think it his duty to ask Pardon but
inasmuch as he knew he had given no Offence he made use of this
extravagant Expression viz. that he would as soon be damn'd to a
Triffle as submit and be bullied by them notwithstanding there was
so many of 'em and had a Sword upon which this Deponent saith
three or four of the Company rose of their chairs and very much
Importuned him to sit down with 'em he also saith that he directly
called for a Bowl of Punch and sat down with 'em and after some
discourse they told this Deponent that several people had been peep-
ing in and Listning to their discourse had made Remarks and Spoke

U. H. J.

of severall things that was said amongst 'em and that they thought
M^r Peter Taylor to be one that took notice of what they said and
this deponent for another however in a short time M^r Perry begun
to curse the Eastern Shore Burgesses prodigiously because they
was against a Tobacco Law but particularly James Holliday Esq^r
& that he said Holliday was not fit to be in the House this deponent
saith that he asked said M^r Perrie why and said Perrie answered
that M^r Carroll bullied and Scared M^r Holliday some time ago
about a Tobacco Law and that said Holliday was influenced by
Esq^r Bennet likewise from making a Tobacco Law this Deponent
also saith that he told M^r Perrie that he never took M^r Holliday to
be such a man neither did he believe that Esq^r Bennet ever con-
cern'd himself so much in State affairs as to endeavour to sway or
Rule the Government said Perry swore directly by his God it was
true & that he would Justify it to their Faces & that he knew Esq^r

10

p. 372