520 Assembly Proceedings, May 1-June 4, 1744.

L. H. J.

M^r Speaker Communicated the Governor's answer to an Address
of this House, viz.
Gentlemen of the Lower House of Assembly
I was very glad to Receive your Address concerning the Land
whereon the House designed for the Residence of the Governor for
the time being is Building, and am well pleased that you have en-
quired into the State of it, which I will readily lay before you.
The Land on which the Building is Carrying on, is part of a Tract
of Land, for which Thomas Bordley Esq^r ffather of M^r Stephen
Bordley mentioned in your Address, and Thomas Larkin Esq^r de-
ceased, obtained a Grant or patent, which patent was vacated by a
Decree of the Court of Chancery, and my Lord proprietary Restored
to his former Right, which I make no doubt will to all unbiassed
persons, appear to be clear and Incontestable, and his Lordship is
now in actual Possession.
M^r Bordley however still pretended he had a Right to that Land,
which tho I looked upon as merely insignificant, yet in view of Ex-
tinguishing all Claims and pretensions whatsoever, I agreed to pay
him his own price viz. 200^l Currency; Upon making this Agreement
I contracted with a fit person to see the work Carried on, and that
it should be begun in March last; I likewise employed and agreed

p. 389

with workmen and Labourers to bring materials to place, and to
proceed to Compleat the Building with all possible expedition.
After the foundation of the House was Dug, which Cost Sixty
pounds, and part of the Materials were brought to place (to which
M^r Bordley never once objected that I know of) I directed a Deed
to be drawn, wherein was a Covenant to warrant the Land against
the said Stephen Bordley, and all persons Claiming under him or his
ffather only, and was Ready to pay the Money; This Deed M^r Bord-
ley Refused to Execute, and would only Warrant against himself
and any Claiming under him, which I thought so very unreasonable,
that I could not in honour or prudence come into it; because he
cannot possibly have any kind of Right but what he derives from
his ffather; and his Refusal to secure the public against any Claim
or pretence from that Quarter, seemed to me to indicate, that what-
ever Claim his ffather might have had, he was Conscious that he
had not any; if he had not, he had no pretence to ask or receive any
money; if he had the same Right or Claim that his ffather had, he
ought not to have Refused executing the Deed; however if your
House approves of such a Deed as he offered to execute, or any
other, I will without hesitation pay the money.
As to his Lordship's Right, I will undertake that it shall be Vested
in the public according to the intentions of the Act of Assembly
without any expence to the Country, because I know his Lordship
always intended it as a favour to the Country.