50 Journal and Correspondence

Liber C B
No. 23

That the Collector of the Tax for Worcester County pay to the
said Capt. Levin Handy Fifteen thousand Dollars to be expended in
the Recruiting Service & Accounted for —

Liber C C

No. 22

p. 51

[Council to Col. Ephraim Blaine]

Sir. Enclosed we send you an Act for the more effectual prevent-
ing forestaling and Engrossing and for other Purposes therein men-
tioned, containing Matters, we apprehend, necessary for your
Information

[Council to His Excellency Benjamin Franklin]

Sir You will perceive by the enclosed Act, that the General As-
sembly of this State have invested you with Authority to appoint
one of the five Gentlemen nominated therein, Trustee for the Pur-
pose of carrying the same into Execution, in Case the Trustees here-
tofore appointed by the Province of Maryland, should neglect or
refuse to act. We request your Excellency to transmit a Copy of the
Act to Mess^rs Russell, Grove and Hanbury, Trustees appointed by the
old Government, and desire their immediate Answer, whether they
will transact Business, sell out the Stock, accept and pay the Bills
drawn in Pursuance of the Act. If they will execute the Trust, we

p. 52

would have them directed to sell out the Stock immediately and
place the Money in the Hands of some capital Banker in Amsterdam
or Paris, subject to their Draughts, in Case Bills should be drawn on
them. If the Trustees decline acting, we desire you would send the
Trustee appointed by your Excellency, a Copy of the Act, with
similar Directions to those above. As the Proceedings of the Gen-
eral Assembly of this State, relative to British Property, may reach
your Excellency as soon as this Letter, we think it necessary that
you should be precisely informed on this Subject, to prevent Mis-
representation and to obviate any Difficulties that may occur in the
Transaction of this Business. The House of Delegates, during their
last Sessions, proposed a Bill for the Seizure and Confiscation of all
British Property, to the Use of the State, except Debts due from the
Inhabitants of this State to the Subjects of the King of Great
Britain; this Bill was rejected by the Senate not because they were
against the Exception but because they deemed a Seizure and Con-
fiscation of British Property at this Time, improper; so that British
Property here continues in the State it ever was. We have only to
solicit so much of your Time and Attention to this Matter, as will
be necessary to preserve the Property of this State

[Council to His Excellency John Jay Esqr.]

Sir We have it in Command from the General Assembly of Mary-
land to transmit to you a Copy of the Act for calling out of Circu-