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according to the Laws, Statutes, Ordinances, and reasonable Customs
of England, and of this Province, or to such other Words as have
Relation thereto; and that they shall immediately make Report to the
House, of any Alteration that shall at any Time happen in such Com-
mission; and likewise to have Regard, as near as may be, to observe
wherein they differ from the Forms of the several Sorts of Commis-
sions to the Judges and Justices in England.
Likewise Resolved, That it be an Instruction to the said Committee,
to inspect the Form of the Oaths of Office, that have been, and now
are usually taken by the several Magistrates; and that in case the
following Clause be not inserted in the said Oath, it be reported to
the House; such Clause being agreeable to the Oath taken by the
Judges in England, and Resolved to be necessary here; viz.
" To do equal Law and Right to all the King's Subjects, rich and
poor; and not to delay any Person of common Right, for the Let-
ters of the King, the Lord Proprietary, or of any other, or for any
other Cause; but if any such Letters come to them, they shall proceed
to do the Law, the same Letters notwithstanding."
And that a Copy of these Resolves be made and given to the said
Committee, when they first go out every Sessions; and that making
and giving such Copies be the undoubted Duty of the Clerk of this
House, and within the Purview of his Oath.
Resolved also, That this Province is not under the Circumstances
of a conquered Country; that if it were, the present Christian Inhabi-
tants thereof would be in the Circumstances, not of the Conquered,
but of the Conqueror, it being a Colony of the English Nation,
encouraged by the Crown to transplant themselves hither, for the
Sake of improving and enlarging it's Dominions; which, by the Bless-
ing of GOD upon their Endeavours, at their own Expence and
Labour, has been in great measure obtained: And 'tis unanimously
Resolved, that whoever shall advance, that his Majesty's Subjects,
by such their Endeavours and Success, have forfeited any Part of
their English Liberties, are not Wellwishers to the Country, and mis-
take it's happy Constitution.
Resolved also, That if there be any Pretence of Conquest, it can be
only supposed against the Native Indian Infidels; which Supposition
cannot be admitted, because the Christian Inhabitants purchased great
Part of the Land they at first took up from the Indians, as well as
from the Lord Proprietary, and have ever since continued in an
amicable Course of Trade with them; except some partial Outrages
and Skirmishes, which never amounted to a general War, much less
to a general Conquest, the Indians yet enjoying their Rights and
Privileges of Treaties and Trade with the English, of whom we yet
frequently purchase their Rights of such Lands as we take up, as
well as of the Lord Proprietary.
40
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L. H. J.
Liber No. 48
December 13
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