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Monday 9.th Dec.r 1765
The House met
All the Members appeared as on Saturday except Mr Fielder
Gantt Samuel Wilson Esq.r M.r J. Adams John Hammond Esq.r
and M.r Tyler
Benedict Calvert Esq.r from the Upper House delivers to Mr
Speaker the following Message Viz
By the Upper House of Assembly Dec.r 9.th 1765
Gentlemen
In Consequence of an Order of this House the late and present
Clerk of the Council have exhibited Accounts of the Services done
by them for the Public so far as they were reducible to Articles
which might be charged in this Manner and a Committee appointed
by us to examine and compare them with the Council Books having
made their Report We now send you a Copy of that Report as well
as of the Clerks Accounts by w.ch we presume it will appear to your
Satisfaction that the public Services done by the Clerk well deserve
the Salary claimed by him and uniformly allowed to this Officer in
every Journal to this Time
That the Governor by the Constitution of this province is assisted
in the Administration of the Executive .Powers of Government by
the Advice of the Council is sufficiently known and the Expediency
of appointing an Officer to give Notice to the Members of the Council
when their Attendance is requisite to prepare the Mandates that
Occasionally issue to the subordinate Ministers and to record and
preserve Memorials of the Proceedings in this Department is so
obvious that we apprehend it would be unnecessary to produce any
direct Proofs to establish the Fact that there hath always been a
Clerk attendant upon the Council or to offer any formal Arguments
to evince that as the Council by our Constitution assist the Governor
with their Advice in the Administration of the Powers vested in
him as supreme Magistrate so their Clerk is a Constitutional Officer
According to this Idea he hath always been paid in the Journal of
Accounts for his Services to the Community and hath been enjoined
to perform various Duties by many Acts of Assembly without the
Allotment of particular Rewards
The Repairs of the Council Chamber were necessary to shelter us
from the Inclemency of the Weather and we must take the Liberty
to inform you that whatever your Resolves may be we shall without
any Scruple take Care to have a proper Place to meet in when we
are called together to transact the public Business if the Council
Chamber had not been repaired there would have been a Necessity
for making a Contract for a Room in some private House as you
have done and there would be the same Reason for applying the
public Money (in which our Money is as well included as yours)
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L. H. J.
Liber No. 52
Dec. 9
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