The Lower House. 395

November and part of March Courts 1724 and from that time till
June 1734 The Judgements are not Entered that from the Year
1712 to the year 1724 the Books are not Alphabeted that M^r John
Beale was Clerk in the years aforementioned That the original
Papers for those years are in good order and that from the Year
1734 the Proceedings are Regularly Entered.
That by the Return of the Justices from Prince Georges County
their Records Appear to be in good order and Repair
That by the Return of the Justices from Baltimore County their
Records appear to be in good order but that from the year 1665 to
1708 they find no original Papers.

L. H. J.
Lib. No. 45

That by the Return of the Justices from Kent County their
Records and Papers since the time M^r James Smith hath been Clerk
which begun in the year 1707 Appear to be in good order and Re-
pair that the Books before that time are much worn and the Original
Papers greatly Decayed.
That by the Return of the Justices from Queen Anns County it
Appears that the Judgements for part of November Court 1716 to
August Court 1718 and also part of August Court 1719 to August
Court 1728 Dureing which time M^r Jam^s Knowles was Clerk are not
Entered that the Original Papers for those years are very Confused
That from the year 1718 the Levy lists and marks are not recorded,
and That the Proceedings Since M^r Richard Tilghman was Clerk
are in good order
That by the Return of the Justices from Talbot County their
records Appear to be in good Order Considering the Unskillfullness
of former Clerks
That by the Return of the Justices from Dorchester County in
the Clerkship of Hugh Eccleston and of Govert Loockerman from
the years 1716 to 1720 the proceedings are very Irregularly and
Imperfectly Entered.
That your Committee have not received any Returns from Cecil
Somerset and Calvert Counties concerning the State of their
Records and that no Other Returns which have Appeared to your
Committee (The Return from The Justices of S^t Marys County
Excepted) make any mention of the time when their Records begun.
And your Committee refer to the Several Returns for more Par-
ticular Accounts of the State of the Records in Each County and
are of Opinion That General Alphabets for the Land Record Books
in Each County would much Conduce to their Preservation
All which we Submitt to the Consideration of the House
Signed p order. John Gibson Ct. Com^ry

Which Report is referred to the Consideration of the next As-
sembly

p. 631