366 Assembly Proceedings, Sept. 28-Dec. 16, 7757.

L. H. J.
Liber No. 49
Dec. 15

If the disinterested Reader could conceive that you, I mean such
of you as were Members of the late Assembly, knew almost Three
years ago, as much as he will when he has read thus far, he would, I
doubt not, be surprized at your desiring any Body to attend, at this
Time, in order to give Evidence against your Clerk; and he might
perhaps ask, Whether it would not have been as proper to Reprimand
your Clerk, when his Offence was first discovered (supposing he had
Offended) as at the Beginning of the present Session; and, how it
happened, that his Misconduct was not Censured during either of the
Sessions that were held in March and September 1756, and in April
1757; But, not to enumerate all the Questions that such a Person
might be naturally supposed to ask upon Reading that Part of your
Address where you assign a Reason for requiring Mr. Ridout to
attend your House, at the Beginning of the present Session, I shall
proceed to Mr. Ridout's Relation of what passed in your House, after
he did attend, which I choose to give you in his own Words.

As I perceive that the Account, which the Honourable the Lower
House of Assembly has been pleased to give your Excellency, of
what is said to have Passed in that House, the 3Oth of September
last, while I was present, differs in some Particulars from the Account
I gave some Gentlemen the Instant I came out of the House, and from
the Minutes which I took that Day immediately on my Return Home,

p. 204

I take the Liberty to mention to your Excellency, some Circumstances
that may perhaps have been thought too Trivial to be taken Notice of
by the Gentlemen of the Lower House, in their Address to your
Excellency of the 2d Instant; but which are, in my humble Opinion,
at least as Material as several others that seem to be therein dwelt on.
As soon then as I had entered the House, in Consequence of a Mes-
sage sent me by the Speaker, for whom I had a particular Respect,
the Door was shut, and Care taken that no other Person might be
admitted : After I had been there a short Space of Time, the Speaker
addressed himself to the House, and asked the Gentlemen, Upon
what Account he had been desired to send for me, and, what Ques-
tions they would have me ask'd ? A Member thereupon standing up,
and saying, The House wanted to know what Papers those were
that were mentioned by Mr. Ridout in a Letter which he had some
Time since wrote to Col. Cresap, and how he came by them, the
Speaker addressed himself to me, and Questioned me agreeable to the
Gentleman's Motion; Col. Cresap being seated on my Right Hand, I
turned towards him, and desired he would let me see the Letter that
the Speaker referred to; in Compliance with my Request, he imme-
diately drew the Letter out of his Pocket and handed it to me : After
I had perused it, I observed to the Speaker, that the Letter appeared
by it's Date to have been writ a great while ago, and said, I did not
remember any Thing about the Papers therein mentioned, but that I
would take the Letter Home with me, and if I should recollect what