422 Assembly Proceedings, Feb. 26-Mar. 9, 1754.

L. H. J.

Liber No. 47
March 6

To his Excellency Horatio Sharpe, Esq; Governor and Commander
in Chief in and over the Province of Maryland.
The humble Address of the House of Delegates of the said Prov-
ince.
May it please your Excellency,
We, his Majesty's most dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Delegates of
the Freemen of Maryland, in Assembly convened, beg leave to rep-
resent to your Excellency the impending Dangers we apprehend from
the Growth of Popery, and the valuable and extensive Possessions
of Popish Priests and Jesuits, within this Province.
As Influence and Power are every where the inseparable Con-
comitants of Property and Wealth, we find, that our Mother Coun-
try, and other Protestant States, have thought it necessary to guard
effectually against the Jesuits, and other Popish Emissaries, by lay-
ing them under particular Restrictions and Incapacities: And if
their restless Genius, and the Vicinity of the French, be duly con-
sidered, we conceive the like Precautions cannot be thought unnec-
essary here. We humbly trust, from your Excellency's known
Attachment to the present happy Establishment both in Church and
State, that your Excellency will put into all Places of Trust and
Profit, none but faithful Protestant Subjects, known as such by their
religious and civil Principles: And that you will take all possible
Care that the Laws may be duly executed for our common Safety,
Protection and Encouragement, as well as for the Preservation of
this his Majesty's Dominion.

p. 395

Which was read and assented to, and signed, by Order of the
House, by the Honourable Speaker.
Ordered, That Mr. Goldsborough and Mr. Stoddert, do acquaint
his Excellency, that this House hath prepared an Address to be pre-
sented to him, and desires to know when, and where, he will please
to receive it: They return and acquaint Mr. Speaker, that the Gov-
ernor signified he would receive the Address immediately, in the
Conference Chamber.
Ordered, That Mr. Murdock, and 13 more, do present the
Address.
His Excellency communicates to Mr. Speaker the following
Message,
Gentlemen of the Lower House of Assembly,
I Cannot think the Reason offered in your Yesterday's Address,
sufficient for preremptorily refusing any Assistance to the Vir-
ginians, at this Juncture; and if we duly consider the present Posture
of Affairs in Virginia and on the Ohio, I believe we shall not doubt
our being sufficiently authorized by the Earl of Holdernesse's Let-
ter, to engage in the intended Expedition, and to give our Troops
Instructions to act in Concert with those which are levying in the