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L. H. J.
Liber No. 50
Mays
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the severe Weather that happened after Captain Browne, and Captain
Casson, received my Orders to march, I pass over what you relate
concerning these Accidents; neither do I think it necessary to make
any Apology for proroguing the Assembly on the 8th of March last,
after your House (as appears by your Journal) dropt all Thoughts
of doing the Business for which alone you were called together; but
shall proceed at once to examine the most material Parts of your
Address, and endeavour to shew that I have not issued any Orders
which can be called illegal or unnecessary, and that none of the In-
conveniencies or Hardships which any Companies of Militia are said
to have suffered, can, with the least Appearance of Justice, be im-
puted to me.
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p. 161
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Were I not desirous of avoiding all unnecessary Disputes with you,
I might enumerate many Instances of Governors exercising far
greater Authority over the Militia of this Province, before they
received any additional Power from an Act of Assembly, than has
ever been exercised since I came to this Government; but as you tell
me that you have, in your Address, proceeded on a Presumption,
that the Orders which were sent to the abovementioned Captains of
Militia, were given by Virtue of the Law, for the Ordering and
Regulating the Militia of this Province, for the better Defence and
Security thereof, I shall endeavour to shew, that on that Presumption,
those Orders were in no Respect unlawful.
That your Constituents may be the better enabled to judge of the
Merits of your Address, and the Sufficiency of my Answer, I have
ordered Mr. Green to republish in his Gazette, the several Militia
Laws that have been made here since the Year 1714, the Titles of
which are as follows: [ Printed in the Maryland Gazette, Annapolis :
April 27, 1758, pp. 1-2; May 4, 1758, p. 1; May 11, 1758, pp. 1-2.]
ist. An Act for the Ordering and Regulating the Militia of this
Province, for the better Defence and Security thereof ;
which was made at a Session of Assembly, begun and held in this
City, the 26th Day of April 1715, to continue for Three Years, and
to the End of the next Sessions of Assembly after the End of the
said Three Years. [See Archives of Maryland, vol. xxx; 277-283.]
2d. An Act reviving an Act of Assembly of this Province, en-
tituled, An Act for the Ordering and Regulating the Militia of this
Province, for the better Defence and Security thereof;
which was made at a Session, begun and held the I4th Day of May
1719, and the Act of Assembly abovementioned was thereby Revived
and Continued in full Force, from the then present Session, for and
during the Terms of Three Years, and to the End of the next
Session of Assembly after the End of the said Three Years, and
no longer. [See Archives of Maryland, vol. xxxiii, 472.]
3d. An Act directing how Fines shall be adjudged against such as
neglect to appear at Musters ;
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