The Lower House. 95

they would have, if the Fund was sufficient for sinking the Whole.
This indeed would be a Breach of the public Faith, and give a fatal
Blow to the Value of our Currency; but how so small an Increase
of the capital Stock, as £4015: 6 and that for a few Months only,
(to answer a present Emergency), can affect the Credit of it, we are
at a Loss to conceive, and supposing, abstracted from all other Con-
siderations, it would, yet, in the present Situation of our Affairs, we
apprehend, the Increase of the Demand for Money, must undoubtedly
obviate the trifling Evil that might otherwise arise from this small
Emission of so short Duration; and therefore we must be still of
Opinion, that the Circulating the Sum of £4015 :6 as by this Bill
is intended and directed, cannot in the least depreciate the Value of
our Currency.
We cannot agree with your Honours, that the Ordinary Licence
Fund is too far mortgaged already to be laid under any further
Burthen, so as to assist in answering the Purposes intended by this
Bill, for that the whole Monies heretofore, and by this Bill intended
to be, granted, will be fully paid in and satisfied, by that and the
other Funds provided for that Purpose, in due Time; and if your
Honours will take the Trouble of making a Calculation, even upon
the lowest Terms, that may possibly happen, you'll be as fully con-
vinced of it as we arc. And we are unanimously of Opinion, that
his Lordship's Prerogative (which we are resolved as strenuously
to support, as the Interest and Privileges of the People we repre-

L. H. J.
Liber No. 48
March 21

sent), is not in the least Degree infringed, by our now appropriating
the Fines arising on Ordinary Licences, as they have been for many
Years past; and if you'll look into former Laws, you'll find, that
when they have been applied to any other Uses or Purposes, it has
been done by the Consent of the Legislature, and we observe, that the
Lord Proprietary, in the Year 1717, accepted of them as a Grant
from the People, on a particular Occasion, and that with Expressions
strongly insisting, that such Application cannot be made without the
Assent of the Representatives of the People, in a Law; which, we
hope, will sufficiently convince you, that his Lordship's Prerogative
is not in the remotest Manner infringed by this Appropriation of
those Fines, and that there is not the least Occasion for our entering
into any Disputes or Reasoning, in a Matter which must appear so
obvious to every one. But even had his Lordship a Right to such
Fines, by Virtue of his Prerogative, we can see no Reason why, at
this critical Conjuncture, your Honours should be against the pres-
ent Application of them, in a Way strictly agreeable to what has
met the Approbation of both Houses for many Years past, and even
of your Honours very lately, although they may already stand en-
gaged for some few Years to come, to replace Monies issued out
and granted upon less important Occasions: And as we have nc

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