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the Conferees of both Houses, on the Heads and principal Parts of
two Bills viz. One to raise a Fund for Defence of this Province,
and the other to encourage Levies for his Majestys Service; these
Bills were at the Conference and by all the Messages preceeding it,
understood and Agreed to attend each other, and to be framed and
sent up by your House to us, as soon as might be; you send to this
House one of the Bills, but refuse to send the other for defence of
the province, Because you have Apprehensions (as you say) of our
Intention to make Alteration in the Duration of some of your Bills
on our Table; We tell you, that we have not as yet Given those Bills
a second reading; upon which it is notorious this House forms their
Resolutions, either as to the Passage or Alterations of any Bills, and
further that this House has never acquainted your House with any
such Intentions pray, Gentlemen what answer do you make to This
by your abovementioned Message why truly, none other, but that
you take for granted, that we shall do what we have not yet done,
nor have informed your House that we shall do; and because We do
not let you know, what we shall or shall not determine on the second
Reading of those Bills, your Apprehensions of Our Intentions (you
say) are confirmed; If Gentlemen such Expectations as you now
entertain were ever thought or heard of, in any part of the World
where there are distinct Branches of the Legislature Your now Be-
haviour might be a matter of less Surprize; but as we are most cer-
tain, not the least Pretence of Reason or President can be urged for
what you now insist on, we hope you will not be displeased with our
absolute Refusal to comply, with what wou'd render that Branch
of Legislature which shou'd concede to it, not only useless but ridicu-
lous; when you talk of high Demands, can any thing be more so
between Our two Houses, than for one to Insist on the other should
declare, what it Intends to do with any Bill, before that Bill comes
under a proper Consideration of the House ? would not this Method
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U. H. J.
Calvert
Paper
No. 735
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of Proceeding not only anticipate every Resolution but even any
Alteration at the proper time (which is with us at the second Read-
ing) of Our first, and perhaps unreasonable Intention, And would it
not be absurd in Terms for us to tell you, what Our Resolutions are
upon a Bill, which our House has not resolved upon: Our Unwilling-
ness to gratify you is not a matter of Form but your Expectations
strike so Essentially at our Priviledge as a distinct Part of Legisla-
ture, that we make not the least Question of being every where justi-
fied; and if you will not let us have the Bill for defence of the Prov-
ince because we will not make so dangerous as well as Ridiculous a
Precedent, we must chuse the least of two Evils which we Judge,
by not contributing to A Session, 'till you will be pleased to send us
the Bill for Arms &ca agreable to Our Conference, will be to continue
our present Act for Arms and Ammunition for our defence
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p. 91
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