The Lower House. 329

posed on Every Hogshead, and applied to the use of the then late
Lords proprietaries; and that the same duty of Eighteen pence per
hogshead, should after the 29^th day of September aforesaid from
Time to time be paid and satisfied to the several and respective Naval
officers of this province for the time being by the Master or Masters
of every such ship or vessel respectively, in which &c. and that the
said Naval Officers on recept of the eighteen pence per hogshead
aforesaid, should be, and are by this act, oblidged to render an Ac-
count of and pay the same to the publick Treasurers of this province,
after the same manner they were required to account for and pay
the duties raised to defray the publick Charge of this province, to be
by such Treasurers Accounted for and paid to the Right Honourable
Benedict Leonard Lord Baltimore, then proprietary of this province
in Case he should be favourably pleased to Acept the same in Con-
sideration of his receiving his quit rents and Alienation fines during
the Continuance of this act in Tobacco at the rate of two pence Ster-
ling per pound after such acceptance by his said Lordship should
be duly Signified to this province and that in case his Lordship
should not think nt to accept thereoi in manner atoresaid, then the
said duties to be applied Towards the defraying the publick Charge
of this province; and it is also by the said Act Enacted, that the same
should Continue in force till the End of the next Session of Assembly
that should happen of the 10^th day of May then next, and no longer,
as by the said act a relation thereunto being had may appear
and by virtue of which last recited Act, your Committee humbly
Conceive, the said duty for support of Government was levied and
raised, untill his Majesty King George of Glorious Memory, was
pleased to restore the Government of this province, [to] the Right
Honourable Charles Lord Baltimore, the present Lord Proprietary
of this province.
Your Committee humbly observe further, that upon his Lordships
being so restored, and the Government again Changed, from his
Majesty's to a proprietary Government in the year 1716, an Act
passed at a Session of Assembly, held the 17^th day of July, in the
first year of the Dominion of the Right Honourable Charles Abso-
lute Lord and proprietary of the province of Maryland and Avalon
&c. and in the year of our Lord aforesaid Entituled an Act ascertain-
ing the gauge and Tare of Tobacco hogsheads and to prevent Crop-
ping and Cutting and Defaceing Tobacco taken on board Ships or
Vessels upon freight, and for laying Impositions on Tobacco per
hogshead for the support of Government and for the Encouraging
Settlements in this province by ascertaining the manner of paying his
Lordships Alienation fines and quit rents for the Term therein pro-
posed and for taking off the three pence per hogshead formerly
raised for the Publick Charge: by which said Act, it is Among other
things recited as is before mentioned to be recited, Concerning the

L. H. J.
Lib. No. 45
p. 821