Appendix. 669

rejected a Bill, pass'd by your Honourable House for granting to his
Majesty a considerable Sum of Mony to be applied towards raising &
maintaining a number of men to defend this Country against y^c brutal
French, & their Allies y^e savage Indians who were then committing
the most shocking Barbaritees & uncommon Cruelties imaginable on
our fellow-Creatures and Countrymen, who cou'd have no Consolation
in their Distress, but that of seeing Hundreds in their own unhappy
& lamentable Circumstances; This gives great Concern, & more when
we reflect on the great Dangers & mischiefs y.^t may speedily arise
within this Government, by y.^e Increase of Popish Resusants among
us, & considering y.^e great Resort of Jesuits to this Country who are
daily endeavouring to seduce His Majestys good Subjects from their
Religion, & Alegiance, And how much His Majestys Protestant Sub-
jects are disheartened to see Priests & Jesuits accumulating great
Wealth & enjoying some of y.^e best Estates in y.^e Province, contrary
to Law & good Government: And also to see men highly to be sus-
pected of Popery & who were educated at St Omers & brought up in
y^r Religion, admitted into Employments of great Trust & profit. We
cannot omit on this occasion to return you our sincere Thanks & to
express our Approbation of your address to His Excellency the Gov-
ernour dated the 6^th July 1755 [July 3, 1755] & printed in the Mary-
land Gazette, requesting of His Excellency y.^e Execution of y.^e Penal
Laws of England against the Papists of this Province; and though
we have y.^e Mortification to find that your said address had not the
desired Effect, yet we entreat you not to be discouraged from Farther
attempting our Relief & Security by transmitting to his most sacred
Majesty a true State of our present Situation & Grievances & implor-
ing His Interposition and Protection. And we do hereby engage to
support your Undertaking to y.^e utmost of our Abilitys, & with our
Lives & Fortunes to maintain & defend His Majesties Rights in this
Dominion.
[Indorsed] 22.^d May 1756

[No signatures are appended to this petition.]

MSS

Archives
of Md.
Black
Book i 0
No. 43

III

PETITIONS OF FREEHOLDERS AND FREEMEN OF ALL SAINTS PARISH
IN FREDERICK COUNTY FOR ITS DIVISION INTO Two
PARISHES (see page 235).

There are three of these petitions, each bearing a large number of
signatures that were apparently circulated in different parts of All
Saints Parish, which may be designated as (1), (2), and (3). All
three petitions are practically identical as to their wording so the
preamble of only the first one is given; the list of signatures alone
being printed for petitions (2) and (3). A number of the names are

45

MSS
Archives
of Md.
Black
Book 10
No. 46