422 Assembly Proceedings, April 13-May 6, 1761.

U. H. J.
Liber No. 35
April 28

not only because We were unwilling to subject the Country to the
Burthen of an unnecessary Imposition, but because the nature and
Tendency of these Bills have been such as it can hardly be imagined
the Frames of them could even entertain the least hope that We
should be so inattentive to our own Rights Regardless of Property,
and negligent of all order, as to suffer any of them to pass into Laws
By the uniform Scheme of these Bills Your Excellency Ourselves
and Every Man in the Province without distinction who has any
Property in Tobacco were to be taxed, and the Money arising from
the Tax was to lodged in the hands of Such Persons as the Lower
House only direct, and the Agent to be employed was to be nomi-
nated also by them to Act by their Instructions only to correspond
with them alone and to be removed at their Displeasure
In these Bills Aggrievances and Oppressions have been in a General
manner mentioned, But they have not yet been specified much less has
their Existence or Reality been proved, or any Application made to
his Lordship for a Redress of them
Our Rejection of these Bills has been loudly sounded as an Ag-
grievance; but We cant help observing that whilst Men are pos-
sessed with such transcendent Ideas of Privilege as these very Bills
testify They will have an inexhaustible Spring of Aggrievances
till they are at length complimented with a Surrender of all Authority
into their Hands and the Other Branches of the Legislature will be
content with the Honour of becoming their Conduit Pipes for the
Passage of Such Regulations into the form of Law as they shall
be pleased in the Plenitude of their Power to dictate, But not to detain
you longer on so disagreeable a Subject We flatter ourselves that
your Excellency convinced of our unfeigned Zeal for his Majesty

p. 480

Service and Sollicitude to promote it upon every Occasion will do us
the Honour to join this House in an Address to the purpose men-
tioned in your Message of the 15^th Instant
To the Kings most Excellent Majesty
The humble Address of the Governor and the Upper and Lower
Houses of Assembly of the Province of Maryland
May it please your Majesty Deeply affected with the Severe Loss
we in common with our fellow Subjects have sustained by the Death
of our late most Excellent King of happy Memory whose paternal
Care the Inhabitants of these Colonies have experienced, so far as
their particular Circumstances woud admit in the Course of his long
mild just and Glorious Reign favourably Permit us, most gracious
Sovereign to condole with your Majesty that Meloncholy Event, But
we should not approve ourselves in any respect worthy of the In-
dulgent Protection of Providence did we not derive and most thank-
fully acknowledge the strongest Consolation from a Contemplation
on the Eminent and Royal Virtues which Constitute and Embellish
the Character of a Good King, and give the best Assurance of a