The Lower House. 353

not been able to examine thoroughly into the State and Condition
of the same, or into the Conduct and Behavior of the said Commis-
sioners or Trustees, and can therefore agree only to make the follow-
ing Report, viz.
Your Committee, on Examination of the Iron Chest or Cash
Account N.^o I. raised in the said Books, find, that on the 29th of
September last (the Time the same were ballanced) there remained
of the Money paid into the Office as Principal and Interest due on
Loans, and of the Money paid in by some of the Officers concerned
in collecting the public Funds, the Sum of £121 9 8f. And from
the Face of the Iron-Chest Account N.^o 2 it appears, that at the Time
abovementioned, a Ballance remained therein of £8865 i 5! , whereof
£3679 10 0 is liable to be drawn out by the Agents, by Order of his
Excellency the Governor, to be applied as a Reward for Indian
Scalps and Prisoners; £1881 19 8 1/2 for other Purposes mentioned
in the £40,000 Act; and the Sum of £ 3303 n 9! to be applied
towards replacing the Sum of £5984 14 o directed to be taken out
of the said Office by the said Act, which leaves a Ballance of that
Sum to be replaced of £2681 2 2 1/4.
It appears also to your Committee, that the Sheriff, Collector of
Excise and Collector of the Land-Tax, for Caecil County, have
never yet made any Return, or paid in any Monies for the Excise
on Liquors, or for the Land-Tax, or any other Rate or Duty im-
posed by the £40,000 Act; and that the Collector of the Land-Tax in

L. H. J.

Liber No. 49
Dec. 14

Kent County, has never yet made any Return, or paid any Monies
for the Land-Tax; and that your Committee have Reason to
apprehend, that several other Officers have been remiss in their
Duty, tho' at this Time they have not been able to make so strict an
Enquiry, as to justify their pointing them out particularly.

Your Committee, further considering the Irregularity of the Books
and Accounts of the said Office, humbly offer it as their Opinion,
that unless the Books and Accounts of the said Office are reduced to,
and for the future kept in, the Italian Method, it will be extremely
difficult, if not impossible, for any Committee, during the Sitting of
Assembly, to make so full an Enquiry into the State and Condition
of that Office, as the Public Security seems to require.
All which is submitted to the Consideration of both Houses of
Assembly.
Walter Dulany,
Michael Earle,

Robert Lloyd,
October 10,^th 1757.
John Bracco,

Alexander Williamson,
Matthew Tilghman,
Brice T. B. Worthington,
John Hanson.

p. 184