Preface. xv
to the division of St. Paul's Parish, Queen Anne's County. The student of
this period will find Clarence p. Gould's monographs in the Johns Hopkins
University Studies in Historical and Political Science, of value. Two of them
have appeared, as follows: "The Land System in Maryland, 1720-1765"
(1913), and " Money and Transportation in Maryland, 1720-1765 " (1915).
On the constitution of the Assembly, students will find a helpful chapter in
Mereness's " Maryland—a Proprietary Province."
The Session of 1730 met with the Governor under the shadow of bereavement
through the death of his brother, Edward Henry Calvert, who had been
President of the Council. The recent dissent by the Proprietary to the laws
concerning the oath of judges, regulation of the tobacco trade, and attorneys'
fees made it necessary to have new legislation, and acts for those purposes were
passed without much difficulty. In fact, the relations of the two Houses were
quite harmonious. A new town was laid out in Cecil County. The acts
providing for the laying out of Chestertown and Leonardtown were amended.
A number of private acts were passed in relation to the title of land, some part
of this work having been made necessary by the carelessness of a clerk in the
office of the Commissary and Secretary. A number of " languishing debtors "
found relief. The removal of St. Paul's Church from Colgate's Creek to the
new Baltimore Town was authorized. The " preservation of the breed of wild
deer " was the subject of a law which remained longest of all the acts of this
session upon the statute book. We note the correspondence with Virginia
in regard to the enactment of uniform tobacco laws and the detailed suggestions
of an inspection system for the Provincial staple which Gov. Calvert made in
his speech at the opening of the session.
The Proceedings of the Committee on Accounts, which the Lower House
incorporated in its Journal, are of considerable interest, showing the assiduity
of the Committee and revealing the details of the Provincial expenses. Unfor-
tunately, the practice of placing these Proceedings upon the Journal was not
followed in subsequent sessions.
The Session of July I73I. passed very few acts, because it was prorogued
before it had completed the work expected of it. This early prorogation
was due, in large measure, to an outbreak of smallpox on a ship in the
harbor of Annapolis, which vessel was strictly quarantined. Gov. Calvert
announced his intention to return to England and urged care in drafting of
laws. The language of the answers to his speech, which the two Houses
prepared, showed a real affection for him. An act to encourage the manu-
facture of linen cloth, and one to finish the Calvert County Court House, are
the only ones passed of much importance. The Proprietary's dissent to the
Fee Act was read. An opinion as to officers' fees, dated January 15, T73o/T.
|
![clear space](../../../images/clear.gif) |