Letter of Transmission. xi

Indian corn, forbade the export of that crop for a year. The Public Statutes
for the year were completed by an act for the assessment and payment of the
Public Charge.

Local or private acts authorized the repair of St. Mary Anne Parish Church
in Cecil County, cleared the title to tracts of land in Somerset and Anne Arun-
del County, exempted from Provincial levies the workmen in a copper mine and
enabled the Vestry of St. Anne's Parish to lease land in Annapolis.

The Upper House refused to approve a bill for issuing writs of replevin out
of County Courts. A bill to enlarge Baltimore Town and to build a bridge over
Jones' Falls, as well as a bill for raising a fund for payment of an agent in
Great Britain, and one for limitation of officers fees failed, as did several pri-
vate petitions.

The Lower House appointed five standing Committees having a membership
of from 5 to 8. As was usual, some of the members were omitted from com-
mittees and others were on more than one. The customary rules of the House
were adopted and the resolves as to the rights of the Colonists were spread
upon the Journal, as had been done, from time to time, for the past fifteen years.

Twenty-one divisions occurred—an unusually large number. On Septem-
ber 29, by a vote of 24 to 22 (the total membership being 50, of which number
was the Speaker, who only voted in case of a tie), the House voted to prohibit
the exportation of wheat. The four delegates from St. Mary's, Weems of
Calvert, Sheredine of Baltimore, the three delegates present from Dorchester,
all those from Talbot, Somerset, two of the four from Anne Arundel, all those
from Prince George's and two from Queen Anne's constituted the majority.
On October I, the bill prohibiting the exportation of wheat and Indian corn
passed by a vote of 28 to 18. Brome of Calvert, Scott and Caswell of Balti-
more, and Carroll of Anne Arundel, changed their votes; Tasker had been
elected and voted aye, but Sheredine was absent. The county grouping on
these divisions is noticeable.

On October 6, the House decided, by a vote of 12 to 29, not to summon the
Calvert Justices of the Peace to censure them. The affirmative votes were cast
by Chesley of St. Mary's, the Greshams of Kent, Williamson of Charles, Smith
and Hall of Calvert (the other two Calvert delegates being absent), Hall and
Worthington of Anne Arundel, Magruder and Wootton of Prince George's,
and Hammond of Queen Anne's—a scattering vote.

On October 7, the delegates voted, 27 to 16, to permit the introduction of a
bill to lay a tax for the benefit of the Governor on tobacco exportations. The
negative votes were cast by Wilson of Kent, all the delegates from Charles,
Anne Arundel and Prince George's, Hall of Calvert, Hyland of Cecil, and
Pemberton and Hammond of Queen Anne's.