Appendix. 441

& improper Offices & to grievous penaltys, & is of dangerous conse-
quence to the Protestant Religion there established.
Y^r pet^r humbly prays y^r Ldsp's serious consideraⁿ thereof, & th^t
the s^d Act may be totally repeal'd & declar'd Null & void ab Initio,
& also th^t such Instructions may be given to y^r Ldsp's Gov^or & Coun-
cil there, th^t no Act of any such nature may be attempted to be
passed there for the future. And y^r pet^r shall ever pray &^ca
Jacob Henderson

Calvert
Paper

No. 2954

To the R^t Hon^ble Char^s L^d Baron of Baltimore Absolute Lord &^ca
The Memorial of the underwritten Traders to Maryland in Behalf
of themselves & others trading thither beg leave to present to your
Lordship
That Tobacco the Staple of Maryland has of late years sold so
low th^t the planters can't long subsist upon the produce of their
labours.
That this is owing to the Planters endeavouring to make as much
as possible without regarding the nature whereby the Markets in
Europe being over loaded with Tobacco of an Inferiour nature,
it will not pay the necessary charges of bringing to Great Britain.
That to Improve the Staple of Tobacco & render it more fitting
for the European Markets, the Legislature of Maryland have passed
an Act for improving the Staple of Tobacco w^ch limits the number of
plants to be tended by any person in one year not to exceed 7000
Plants.
That by this or the like limitation the Staple might be mended &
the Tobaco more acceptable to the Markets in Europe & the Planters
be Enabled to raise Sufficient to Cloath themselves & Servants w^th
the Manufactures of Great Britain w^ch they can't long continue to
do at the price Tobaco has sold for some time.
That a Law limiting a certain number of Plants is of the same
nature of one w^ch has been in Force many years in the Province of
Virginia.
We therefore Pray y^r Ldsp will be pleas'd to continue this Law
Sign'd per Mess^rs Sam Hyde, W^m Hunt, Rob^t Cruckshanks Phill :
Smith & W^m Black Jan^ry 17^th 1729

NB. upon the afores^d petition's being presented & Read, his Ldsp
was pleas'd to hear the s^d complaint, w^ch being fully argued on both
sides by Counsel Learned in the Law after w^ch his Ldps dismiss'd
the partys, & upon due consideratⁿ it appear'd so unjust & unreason-
able the taking from the Clergy a 4^th part of their Incomes without
any just grounds or Equivalent as also no ways beneficial to the
province his Ldsp Dissented to the s^d Tobaco Law Jan^ry the
30^th 1729

p. 5