210 Letters to the Governor and Council

April 25

[And. Buchanan, Balt County, to His Excell^y Tho^s Sim Lee Esq^r]

The inclosed letter from the Inhabitants of Balt Town which
I take the liberty to lay before you, Contains a request for a Cer-
tain Governmental support to enable them to Compleat a Galley
they are fitting out at a great expence, and which I understand is to be
applied on a very general scale for the defence of the State.
Under these Circumstances I cannot help giveing their Application
my full Consent — and beg leave to recommend it to your Considera-
tion. We are all so exposed that I wish very sincerely the fines may
enable them to finish their undertakings. It would be well not only for
this Town but for a great part of our exposed Coast — the Inhabitants
have Contributed very liberally but without some such support as
they have asked I suspect their undertakings must fail

April 25

[To Brigadier Gen^l Buchanan]
Baltimore 25^th April 1781

The inhabitants of Baltimore foreseeing that it will exceed their
abilities to complete the galley which they have undertaken to fit
out for the Bay service, and apprehensive that it must be given up,
unless immediate succour can be drawn from some other source than
individual contributions, take the liberty to request your interposition
with the Governor and council, that the fines levied-on the Town Mili-
tia, from time to time, may be appropriated to this purpose.
The galley has been pushed forward with so much dispatch, that we
are promised she can be ready for service in less than two weeks. We
are fully persuaded, reasoning upon the extensive advantages to be
derived from her, in the protection of a great extent of coast property,
and by keeping up the usual communication between the opposite
shores, that Government will not hesitate a moment to indulge our
request; especially, if it be considered, that it is only giving a permis-
sion to defend a considerable part of the community, by money drawn
wholly from ourselves. Even on a principle of partial protection, it
might be asked with propriety, and granted without injustice. But
when the application of the galley is to be general, we would imagine
the Governor and Council the last persons in the world to assign rea-
sons for its refusal.
Confiding in your willingness to promote the public good, and in
the wisdom of our administration, always employed to obviate the
sufferings of the people, we do not doubt, but we will be enabled to
finish a plan projected upon motives that every citizen must approve.