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630 Appendix.
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Calvert
Papers
No. 486
1752
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It Appears by the Preamble there is some doubt whether the
Lands in Question were not escheated to Ld Baltimore: In wch
case it was but decency as well as justice to have Apprised the Lord
Proprietor of ye State of his title, & to have alledged such reasons
as they thought expedient to prevail upon him to give up or to sell
his right for the Benefit of the Publick; In wch Case I am sure
His Lordshps Guardians wd have advised him to Condescend to
any reasonable petition. Instead of that they have of themselves
destroyed his title, sold his Lands for their own price & even stripped
him of the Quit Rent wch had been reserved to him by another act
not above 6 years before. As the Trustees therefore are ignorant
of the state of his Lordshps right, & as they cant Judge whether
the price settled is a proper equivalent for his right, As ye Quit is
taken away, & Possibly the whole right of Escheat for ye future
absolutely extinguished by this Act of Assembly I don't see How the
Trustees for my Lord can pass this Act.
I Think further If the Trustees were satisfied this was a reason-
able Bill it ought to be rejected for the sake of the Precedent.
C. Pratt 13. May 1752.
Serj.ts [?] Inn
[The opinion in Pratt's handwriting ends here. The objections
made by him to two of the above acts, viz. those relating to the
punishment of slaves and the title to lots in Princess Anne, were met
by supplemental acts passed in November, 1753. See pages 381, 382,
373, 374]
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Note.... The late Lord Baltimore dyed the latter end of April
1751 and after his Lordships death but before any Notice had
arrived of that event in the Province Viz.t in June 1751 The above
with several other Acts of Assembly were passed by the Legislature
there which had occasioned a Doubt as to the Validity of the several
Acts passed under these Circes—whether they are to be Considered
as Valid and Effectual notwithstanding they were passed after his
Lordships death tho before it was known in the Province or whether
they are upon that Account to be deemed Null & Void
The Assent given by the Governor to these Laws is on behalf
of the Lord Proprietary as appears by the Subscription at the foot
of the Acts of Assembly herewith left and the force of these Acts
is generally Suspended for a Limited time in Order to give the
Lord Prop.ry an Opportunity of Signifying his Assent or Dissent
after the expiration of which time the Acts are in full force without
further ceremony.
Amongst the Acts of Assembly passed in this Province there is
an Act passed in June 1715. Entitled "An Act to Confirm and make
Valid in Law all manner of Process and Proceedings in the several
Courts of this Province from the Demise of her late Majesty, Queen
Ann of Pious memory, to the end of this present Sessions of As-
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