Letter of Transmission. xi

24 to 24, and the Speaker, voting in the affirmative, broke the tie. Those with
whom he voted were of the Provincial party for the most part, including all
members present from St. Mary's, Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Talbot,
Baltimore, Prince George's and Bordley of Annapolis. It was a tobacco rais-
ing group of counties and the solidarity of the delegations is noteworthy. Not
a county split.

By a vote of 25 to 23, the House voted to fill blanks in the quit-rent bill.
Barnes of St. Mary's left his colleagues on this vote, so the Speaker was not
called upon. By a vote of 26 to 22, the House decided that the duty on tobacco
exported should be 2/9 and not 2/6. Buchanan of Baltimore left his col-
leagues and the others voted as previously. Next it was decided that the duty
on tobacco for the support of government should be a shilling and not nine
pence, by a vote of 26 to 22. The previous minority was swelled by Abell and
Barnes of St. Mary's and lost Bond of St. Mary's and Paca of Baltimore. The
House then voted, 25 to 23, that three pence of the shilling should be expended
for arms and ammunition, Abell changing his vote from a yea to a nay. Next
it was determined that the life of the quit rent bill should be fifteen and not
seven years, by a vote of 28 to 20—Abell reverting to the majority, which also
gained Lloyd and Thomas of Talbot.

In the first division, on September 13, the Lower House voted to answer an
address from the Upper, by a vote of 24 to 23. The affirmative votes were
cast by Wilson and Harris of Kent, the Anne Arundel delegation, that from
Calvert, the two Charles County men present, Nicholas Goldsborough, Lloyd
of Talbot, Hooper of Dorchester, Hyland of Cecil, Paca and John Hall of
Baltimore, the Prince George's delegation, Bordley of Annapolis and Pem-
berton and Hammond of Queen Anne's—a list comprising the chief opponents
of the Proprietary. The second division of September 13 resulted in a deci-
sion, by a vote of 27 to 20, to lay a duty on wheat and flour exported. The
negative votes were cast by Bond of St. Mary's, the anti-Proprietary dele-
gates from Anne Arundel, Calvert and Charles, the Talbot men (except John
Goldsborough, who was absent), Sheredine and Paca from Baltimore and
Bordley of Annapolis. I cannot discern the principle of their vote. On that
day, it was further determined, by a vote of 41 to 6, to lay a duty on negroes
of twenty and not fifteen shillings. Those who preferred the smaller amount
were the two Greshams of Kent, Henry Hall of Anne Arundel, Dennis of
Somerset, Thomas of Talbot, and Sprigg of Prince George's.

There were four divisions upon September 14. The House decided, by a
vote of 27 to 15, to consider the quit-rent bill as on a first and not on a second
reading. The minority consisted of the anti-Proprietary group from Anne