320 Assembly Proceedings, May 1-June 12, 1739.

L. H. J.
Lib. No. 45

The House being Divided on this Question the same was deter-
mined in the Negative by the Voice of the Honourable Speaker,
the Petition of Erwin Patterson and others praying an allowance for
apprehending William Turner Read and Rejected.
M^r Matthews from the Committee of Aggrievances &c^a Delivers
M^r Speaker the following Report.

By the Committee of Aggrievances and Courts of Justice
May 21^st 1739.

Your Committee Humbly apprehend that his Lordship the Right
Honourable the Lord Proprietary Levying Collecting and raising
the Sum of fourteen pence Sterl p Tun on the Tunnage of every
ship or Vessel trading into this Province (not properly belonging
to the same) and applying the said Duty to his own use is against
the reason and Institution of the said Duty as appears by the act
for Port Duty's and Masters of Shipps made Anno 1661 and the
uses to which the same kind of Duty is applyed in all other his
Majesties American Dominions where paid, which Act your Com-
mittee suppose gave rise to the said Demand and which with Great
Submission we humbly apprehend to be repealed by an Act made at a
Session of Assembly held at the port of Annapolis the 5^th day of
September in the third year of the Reign of Queen Ann of Glorious
and Pious Memory Anno Domini 1704 Entituled an Act Repealing
all former Acts of Assembly heretofore made saving what are hereby
Excepted

p. 815

Your Committee most Humbly Conceive that his Lordships levy-
ing the said Tax or Imposition on the trade of this province under
pretence and Colour of the said Law and applying the same to his
own use is an Oppressive Burthen and aggrievance to his Majesty's
Subjects but Humbly Submitt it to the Consideration of your
Honourable House.
Signed p order of the Committee S. Bordley Clerk

on Reading this report the Consideration referred untill Wednes-
day Morning, the House adjourned untill two of the Clock in the
afternoon.

Post Merediem. The House met according to adjournment
M^r Matthews from the Committee of Agrgrievances &c^a Delivers
M^r Speaker the following Report.
By the Committee of aggrievances and Court of Justice May 2 I^st
1739 In pursuance as well of an order of your House of the 15^th
Instant given to your said Committee Directing them to Inspect the
Laws by which the officers receive the several Duties on Tobacco in
this province and to make report thereof, as of an order, Instruc-