viii Letter of Transmission.

transmit messages through him. He went to the door of the Lower House and,
when he told the Sergeant-at-Arms of his business, the Speaker came to the
door and took the message from him. Then the Lower House indignantly
complained of the " behaviour of your Clerk," who called " our Speaker out
of the Chair and out of the House." The Delegates stated that they " had no
intention to treat your House, or any member of it, but with the greatest decency
and good manners," and were willing to interchange messages by clerks. This
message was sent by two members, and seems to open the door to an arrange-
ment with the Upper House, but the response was made at once in bitter and
uncompromising words. John Ross carried this message and " waited for
some time to deliver it." Then the Clerk of the Lower House told him that
the " Lower House would not receive any message from him, until they had a
suitable answer to the message sent this morning." Presumably, they were
offended, because a member of the Upper House did not bring the message;
though the words of their own message scarcely justified such a position. On
the next day, Ross took the message again and was again refused admittance.
McNemara, the Clerk of the Lower House, then vainly tried to force Ross to
take a message therefrom. That occurrence was on Friday and on Saturday
and on Monday the deadlock continued. On Monday afternoon, the Upper
House sent an address to Governor Ogle, asking that he prorogue the Assembly,
as there was no hope of an accommodation. This he did, accordingly, on Tues-
day afternoon. When the Session began, the temper of the Lower House was
good and they agreed to waive their former claim to be called a House of
Delegates.

At the beginning of the Session, Ogle urged that the act for purchasing arms
and ammunition be continued. Not only did that project fail, but also measures
to provide that Jonas Green become the public printer instead of William Parks
who had removed to Virginia, a bill to encourage the making of linen cloth, an
act for naturalization, one laying an imposition on negroes imported, etc., as
well as several local and private acts.

The General Assembly of 1738 was a newly elected one. James Harris of
Kent County, the former Speaker, was in transit to the Upper House and
Colonel John Mackall, of Calvert, was chosen Speaker, a position he had held
in former years. Matthew Tilghman Ward succeeded Richard Tilghman as
President of the Upper House. Daniel Dulany was chosen, both for Annapolis
and Anne Arundel County and, selecting the latter seat, another election was
held in Annapolis, resulting in the choice of Robert Gordon, who was sworn
in just before the prorogation of the Session. Levin Gale was also trans-
ferred to the Council during- the Session and a writ was ordered, so as to have
the vacancy filled. He sat in both Houses during the course of the Session—
a remarkable record.