Letter of Transmission. vii

two divisions during the session. The first occurred on May 11, when, by a
vote of 25 to 19, it was decided to permit inhabitants of the Province, who are
not tobacco makers, to pay specie instead of tobacco. In the Journal Warfield
is recorded as voting on both sides. From the location of the names it is prob-
able that the man who voted in the affirmative was Woolford, because his
name is placed between that of two other representatives of Dorchester County.
The significance of the vote is difficult to determine, for the tobacco counties
divided—Prince George's delegation and the majority of the St. Mary's and
Calvert men voting for it, while Charles was against it. The second division,
concerning the payment to Colonel Gale, took place on May 28, the last day
of the Session. Of the members then present, 22 voted to refuse the payment
and 15 voted to make it. The division nearly coincides with the representation
from the two Shores. On the Eastern Shore, only Wilson of Kent, Stoughton
of Somerset and Tilghman of Queen Anne's voted for the grant, while 17 of
the votes against it came from that part of the Province. On the Western
Shore only Waughop of St. Mary's, Mackall of Calvert, Hanson of Charles
and the two Annapolis representatives voted against the payment, while twelve
voted for it. There were thirteen absentees, as some men always left before the
last day. Of these absentees nine were from the Western and four from the
Eastern Shore.

The Session of August 1737 was a brief one, called on account of a " very
great drought," so as to pass an Act to " Prohibit the Exportation of Grain,
Bread and Flour." Other acts passed repealed the law which limited the time
of shipping tobacco, and continued actions in the County Courts. A private act
was passed for the relief of a Prince George's County man imprisoned for debt.
The copyist of the Upper House Journal was careless and it has been necessary
to supply several words from the Lower House Journal, which words are indi-
cated by brackets.

An important address to the King from the General Assembly deals with the
Pennsylvania border troubles and, in the Lower House Journal, is printed the
petition of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania, giving the other side of the
dispute, in whose phase at that time Captain Thomas Cresap was so prominently
involved. There were no divisions of the Lower House at this Session.
Richard Tilghman had succeeded Benjamin Tasker as President of the Council.

The Session, which began upon May 3, 1738, ended without any acts being
passed, on account of a very childish quarrel between the two Houses. Matters
seemed to go on smoothly, until May 17, when a member of the Upper House,
sent with a message to the Lower, was " not admitted to deliver it, but desired
to wait." The Upper House felt its dignity hurt and, consequently, on the
following day, sent a message by its Clerk, John Ross, that it would, hereafter,