632 Appendix.

II

PETITION TO GEORGE BEALL ASKING FOR THE REPEAL OR MODIFI-
CATION OF THE ACT OF 1751 TO LAY OUT GEORGETOWN

[EDITOR'S NOTE, — Reference to the Journal of the Upper House
shows that a petition, undoubtedly the following undated one, was
presented, October 22, 1753, by George Beall to this body request-
ing the repeal or modification of the act of the General Assembly,
passed in June, 1751, creating Georgetown. No action seems to
have been taken on his protest, but it throws an interesting sidelight
upon the beginnings of the national capital.]

Black Book
No. 4
Letter No. 86
[October,
1753]

To his Excellency Horatio Sharpe Esq.^r Governor of
maryland and the honourable the upper and Lower houses
of Assembly.
The Humble petition of George Beall of Frederick County
Sheweth
That at a Session of assembly begun and held at the City of
Annapolis on the fourteenth day of may in the year of our Lord
Seventeen hundred and fifty one Several of the Inhabitants of
Frederick County by there petition to the then General Assembly
Set forth that there was a convenient place for a Town on potomack
river above the mouth of rock creek Adjacent to the Inspecting
house in the Said county and thereby prayed that Sixty acres of
Land might be then Laid out and Erected into a Town and your
petitioner further sheweth that the place Where the Town afore-
said was petitioned for being on or near where your petitioner had
Severall dwelling houses out houses orchards and other Improve-
ments and your petitioner haveing accidenttily had notice of the
Said petition came to Annapolis and waited Several Days in Town
in order to object to an act passing for Laying out a town which
might Effect or take away your petitioners Dwelling house out houses
and other Improvements or otherwise be Injureous to your peti-
tioners property and Staid tell your petitioner was Informed by two
members of the upper house of Assembly that the Said petition
was rejected in the said upper house upon which your petitioner went
home well Satisfied that nothing cou^d be done that Session of As-
sembly in relation to the Said petition —
And your petitioner further Sheweth that after your petitioner
Left Annapolis the Said petition was contrary to the Information
that your petitioner had received as aforesaid Sent to the Lower
house of Assembly and in pursuance thereof an act of Assembly
passed Constituteing appointing and authoriseing Severall Com-
missioners in the Said act mentioned to purchace Sixty acres of
Land part of the tracts of Land belonging to George Gordan and
your petitioner at the place aforesaid where it shou^d appear to them