The Lower House. 541

pointed to procure and Transmit the Records and Papers as afore-
said in discharge of the Trust reposed in them, by several Letters
directed to M^r William Ghiselin, Deputy Clerk of the Provincial
Court, under Edmund Jenings Esq^r Secretary and to M^r Griffith
Beddoe Deputy Register of the Land Office under Levin Gale, Esq^r
applied to the said Clerks for Copies of sundry Records, such as they
adjudged necessary for the Purposes aforesaid, and were refused
the same on the Publick Account; which said Letters and answers
on the first day of August last were laid before his Excellency the
Governor in Council, at which Board were Present

His Excellency the Governor

L. H. J.
Lib. No. 46

the honble

Col^o Ward
Benjamin Tasker, Esq^r
Philip Lee, Esq^r
George Plater, Esq^r
Edmund Jenings, Esq^r

James Holliday Esq^r
Col^o Hammond
Col^o Gale
James Harris Esq^r

Who made the following Order, Upon Consideration whereof this
Board is of Opinion That no Members of the Lower House can be
qualified by Virtue of any Order made in the last Convention of
Assembly, to Act as a Committee of the said House after the Proro-
gation and during the Interval of the Assembly, and that the Exer-
cise of any such Authority or Power is unwarrantable and illegal but
tends to an Enchroachment on, and has a Tendency to overthrow the
Authority which every Governor in his Majestys Dominions is in-
vested with of Proroguing and Dissolving Assemblies, and that
therefore it might be of very mischievous Consequence to give the
least Countenance to such a Proceeding, even by Overlooking it, or
not taking a. due Notice thereof.
Wherefore this Board is of Opinion, that every Officer should be
cautioned and directed not to Submit to, or Comply with any Com-
mand, Request, or Application made or to be made, by, or under the
pretended Authority of any such Committee.

[See 28
Archives,
Council
p. I74-]

But forasmuch as this Board out of a dutiful Regard to his
Majestys Authority, and sincere desire for the Welfare and Satis-
faction of the good People of Maryland, who may be made uneasy
by notions of imaginary Grievances, while they neglect their true
and real Interest, is unwilling to give the least Stop or Hindrance to
any Application to the Throne from his Majestys Subjects in this
Province, on Account of the Irregularity of the Proceedings or
ill Practises of any of their Representatives, It is Ordered, that
the Chief Clerks of the Provincial and Land Office, shall transcribe
Copies of all such Writings and Papers in the said Office as shall be
thought necessary to carry on such Application, and shall be thought
necessary to Applied for by any Person whatsoever, such Person
paying or securing the usual Fees due for such Services.

p. 45