xviii Introduction.

Credit, also known as the Loan Office or Paper Currency Office (pp. 152, 153,
214, 344, 352, 353). The reports of these two committees are discussed later
under their separate headings (pp. lii-liv).

The report of the committee " to inspect the Arms and Ammunition and
the Accounts relating thereto ", dated December 9, 1757, includes an inter-
esting inventory of the military supplies stored in various places in Annapolis;
as in the room over the Council Chamber; in the room over, and the cellar
under, the Conference Chamber; in the Powder House; and at the Half Moon
Battery. The committee reported that the old cannon on the point [at Annapo-
lis] had disappeared. Halberts, pikes, and daggers, in addition to various less
archaic weapons, are among the items listed. The arms and ammunition which
the armorer had delivered on the Governor's orders to sundry individuals are
itemized. The report is signed by Thomas Johnson, Junr. clerk of the com-
mittee, who was later to become the Revolutionary governor of Maryland
(pp. 216, 327-330).

Various petitions which had been presented to the Upper House were referred
to the Lower House for its consideration. A petition from Joseph Wood asked
for a reward for the " Invention /as he says/ of a Machine which will go
perpetually without winding or Spring" (p. 157), and a committee was
appointed by the Lower House to enquire into the matter (p. 239). The
vestry of the Port Tobacco Parish in Charles County prayed for the passage
of an act to enable the justices of that county to levy on the inhabitants of that
parish 50,000 pounds of tobacco " for the Use of William Waite for Decora-
tions made in the Church in the said parish and other Purposes therein men-
tioned " (p. 157). One petition requested that a bill be brought in to prevent
the making of " Hedges in Rock Creek in Frederick County that may hinder
the Fish from going up to breed " (p. 159). There were also several petitions
by owners of servants asking that they be reimbursed for servants who had
enlisted in the Royal American Regiment (p. 157). For some reason not
clear the usual petition of sundry insolvent debtors languishing in county
jails and asking for relief, was rejected by the Upper House at this session
(p. 169). The petition of Robert Freeland, Jr. of Calvert County, requesting
the passage of an act to validate a deed to a tract of land called " Deer Quarter "
from Abraham and Eleazer Birkhead to Robert Freeland, Sr., the petitioner's
father, was rejected by the Upper House (p. 170). The Assembly passed an
ordinance appropriating £200 for winter quarters for British soldiers in An-
napolis (pp. 173-174, 285-286).

Little important legislation was enacted at this session, as the failure of
the Supply bill tended to widen the breach between the two houses. Of the
seventeen acts passed, thirteen (Nos. 1-12, 16) were continuances of laws
about to expire by limitation. One of these (No. 16) provided for payments to
Jonas Green, the Provincial printer, for the publication of the session laws
and Votes and Proceedings during the years 1757 and 1758 (pp. 401-2). One
act (No. 17) amended an earlier act by strengthening its provision against the
sale of liquor near fairs, horse races, court houses, musters, and on board ves-
sels, and prohibited keepers of ordinaries from giving more than ten shillings