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L. H. J.
Liber No. 46
June 17
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Saturday Morning, June 17, 1749.
The House met according to Adjournment: The Members were
called, and all appeared as yesterday. The Proceedings of yesterday
were read.
On motion that a Bill be brought in, to limit a Time for bringing
in the Bills of Credit of the Old Tenor, and to prevent their future
Circulation; Leave is given: Ordered, That the Committee of Laws
do prepare and bring in a Bill accordingly.
On motion that a Bill be brought in, to raise a Duty of three Half-
pence Sterling on every Hogshead of Tobacco exported out of this
Province, to be applied to the Use of the County Schools; Leave is
given: Ordered, That the Committee of Laws do prepare and bring
in a Bill accordingly.
Ordered, That Col. Sprigg, Mr. Tilghman, and Mr. Robert Lloyd,
do make Extracts from the Lord Proprietary's Grants in the Land-
Office, and report the same to the House.
Col. Sprigg, from the Committee of Elections and Privileges,
delivers to Mr. Speaker the following Report :
By the Committee of Elections and Privileges, June 17, 1749.
Your Committee take Leave further to report to your Honour-
able House, That they are credibly informed, and have too much
Reason to believe, that in several of the Counties of this Province,
it has of late been very much the Practice of those who offer them-
selves to the People as Candidates in approaching Elections, for the
Honourable Trust of Representatives in Assembly, not only at the
immediate Time of such Elections, but for a long Time before, both
by themselves and their Agents, to give uncommon Entertainments,
and great Quantities of strong and spirituous Liquors, to the Electors
of such Counties; thereby engaging the Promises of the weaker Sort
of the said Electors to vote for them at such Elections: Which
Engagements (tho' by sober Reflection convinced of the Folly, Im-
prudence, and ill Consequences of them) being publicly made, they
want Resolution to break.
This practice, if not prevented for the future, your Committee
humbly conceive, must tend to the destruction of the Health,
Strength, Peace, and Quiet, and highly contribute to the Corruption
of the Morals of his majesty's loyal Subjects, and his Lordship's
faithful Tenants, within this Province, to the stirring up and pro-
moting Envy, Strife, and Contention, amongst Friends and Neigh-
bours, and to the creating and formenting Parties and Divisions,
which must always be a Disadvantage both public and private;
except to those few, the success of whose pernicious Schemes may
in great Measure depend upon the formenting and keeping up such
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