The Upper House. 291

Read the first time in this House and ordered to Lye on the Table.
The following Message being prepared is sent to the lower House
by John Rousby Esq^r

By the Upper House of Assembly 4^th Sept^r 1731

U. H. J.

Gentlemen.
This House hath Nominated John Rousby Benjamin Tasker
& Philip Lee Esq^r to Joyn the Members Appointed by Your House
on a Conferrence as proposed by Your Message of this day by
Major King & Col Ennals who are ready to attend Imediately
Signed p Order John Ross Cl. Up. Ho.

John Rousby Esq^r from the Committee of both Houses Reports
to this House that the Conferees cannot Agree upon the Subject
matter they went upon.
The Honourable Charles Calvert Esq^r Attended by M^r Speaker
& the Members of both Houses present their Joint Address to His
Excellency the Governour in the Councill Room.

To His Excellency Benedict Leonard Calvert Esquire Governour of
Maryland The Humble Address of the Upper & Lower Houses of
Assembly.
May it please Yo^r Excellency,
We have taken into Consideration the two Queries Transmitted
by the Right Honoble the Lords Commissioners for Trade & Plan-
tations to your Excellency which you Communicated to the Assembly
at the Opening of this Sessions, Viz. What Trade this Province
has with any fforeign Plantations or any part of Europe besides
Great Brittain; How such Trade is carried on; what Commodities
the People of this Province Send to or receive from foreign Planta-
tions, What the Naturall produce of the Country Staple, Comodi-
ties & Manufactures besides Tobacco are, and what Value thereof
may be Annually Exported And beg leave to observe to your Excel-
lency that for want of an Opportunity to Examine the books &
Entries of the Officers of the Customs we cannot be so particular in
our Information to your Excellency as you desire or we wish to be :
But in Generall we can assure Your Excellency that we have taken

p. 152

all the Measures we could to be Informed: And that there are but
very few Trading Vessells belonging to the Inhabitants of this Prov-
ince Severall Counties (of the Twelve whereof the Province con-
sists) have not one Trading Vessell belonging to them; That we
could not learn that more than one small Vessell has gone from this
Province (belonging to the Inhabitants thereof) to any of the foreign
Sugar Plantations: A few Vessells have gone to Madeira & other

p. 153