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L. H. J.
Liber No. 52
Dec. 16
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with the precedent Matter your Hon.rs sho.d not have Curiosity to
trace the Subject at least thro' that Journal. The Truth is that the
Refusal to make a Journal Allowance to M.r Ross of a Salary as
Clk of the Council took its Rise as we believe in 1749 and has been
continued down to the present Time for in 1749 & 1750 we find
the Journal of Accounts was sent up without the Allowance of a
Salary to the Clk of the Council And the Upper House in their
Message of the 30.th May 1750 the 6.th June 1751 and in June 1752
take Notice of such Omissions In Octo.r Session 1753 the Up.r Ho:
say in their Message respting the Journal "the Lower House have
not inserted the Allowance of the Council of State since the Year
1747 nor the yearly Salary of the Clk of the Council from the Year
1747. The Lower House in their Ans.r refer the Members of the
Council as well as their Clk to Fines and Forfeitures given by Acts
of Assembly and the 12.d p Hh.d taken by Lord Baltimore for Satis-
faction. The Upper House in Another Message say "As to the Allow-
ance for the Attendance of the Council of State and their Clerk we
refer you to the Proceedings in the Debates thereon entered in your
own Journals and partarly to the Journal of the Year 1736 &c"
This shews that acco to the Idea of the Upper House itself the
Rewards of the Council of State and their Clerk stood on the same
Foundation and the Dispute in the Year 1736 as to the Council of
State nominally was disputing their Clerks Salary Consequentially
In the Message of the Up.r to the Low.r House the 29.th April
1756 with the Journal is this Paragraph "There is no Allowance to
the Members of the Council of State for their Attendance or to M.r
Ross for his Yearly Salary as Clerk of the Council. In this we are
the more surprized as you cannot but know there are several Laws in
Force which require many Services to be done by him as Clerk of the
Council" In Answer to that Part which respects the Clerk the Lower
House in their Message of the 1.st May 1756 said "As you say
there are several Laws in Force which require many Services to be
done by M.r Ross as Clerk of the Council when his Account for such
Services is laid before us it shall be considered and every reasonable
Allowance made but to make Allowances for Services Annually
performed in Compliance w.th Laws without any Account of the
Services even being laid before us is a Method of Dealing out as
the Peoples Money we can never come into" That Part of the
Message of the Upper House which induced the Queon mentioned
in your Message is in these Words "As this Session is drawing near
to a Conclusion we have not Time to enumerate the many Services
done by the Clk of the Council some of which cannot be unknown
to you; former Assemblies have judged it to be an useful Office
and always allowed the Clk an Annual Salary in all the Journals
heretofore passed the two Houses to the Year 1747 and never was
denied him 'till now Therefore to speak plainly which best becomes
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