502 Assembly Proceedings, Mar. 28-May 13, 1758.

U. H. J.
Liber No. 35

May 4

what may be done in another Colony is no Authority for our doing
it here, unless our Circumstances and Constitution of Government
are similar

Altho' we presume Lord Baltimore might not at this Crisis insist
upon what he seems to be so well intitled to, and might rather chuse
to waive it now than obstruct his Majesty's Service by strictly adher-
ing to his Charter, yet so far as he is immediately concerned in point
of Property in the Execution of the Bill you have proposed, he will
without Doubt expect as in all Reason & Justice he ought to have
the Nomination of such Commissioners as would have any Power to
rate his Estate, and upon the same Foundation We expect the same,
and without Reserve declare to you that we never will consent to
any Bill to affect our Estates without having an equal Share with
yourselves in the Nomination of Commissioners.

p. 310

We do not desire that the Estates of the People may be taxed
by Officers deriving their Power from the sole Nomination of Lord
Baltimore nor by any Officers vested with the Powers given by your
Bill. We think that the old Method of taxing wo.^d be attended with
the most Ease and Convenience and the least Expence and Influence
but if you will essay another Method we shall not object to it merely
because we dont think it the most eligible, however we can't but
observe that when the Allowances of 14/: & 15/ p Diem to the
Members of the general Assembly are to be paid we have heard of no
Objection to the Propriety Convenience or Equality of the old Mode
of taxing, and that in Order to avoid a Poll Tax and essay another
Method so much Time has been spent as can't but prove detrimental
to his Majesty's Service, should this Province at last not be dis-
tinguished from every other Colony by a Refusal to contribute any
Thing to forward it, and cost your Constituents /to speak greatly
within Compass/ at least an eighth Part of the Sum proposed to be
granted, and that Sum too will be raised by the old Method of Poll
Tax
You have bestowed the contemptuous Epithet " trifling " upon our
Objection to the very scanty Reward you had given to the Commis-
sioners of the Loan Office. We alledged that the Officers appointed
by the Bill ought to have Rewards proportioned to their Services
the Trust reposed in them, and the Trouble attending the Execution
of it, and that whether these Services are added to Duties incident to
a previous Appointment made by the Government or constitute the
whole Duty of the Officers intended to be originally created by the
Bill," and then we shewed that these Rules had not been observed
by the Bill
Our Position you do not seem to deny on the Contrary you say
" that these Officers ought to be equally rewarded in Proportion to the
Merit of their Services "