Appendix. 399

necessary Powers and just Prerogatives of the Crown, and that it is
in vain to negotiate away His Majesty's Prerogatives, yet as the
Lower House have made no Attempt of this Kind, a Stanza from
the Ballad of Chevy Chace would have served the Purpose of the
Upper House just as well, if their View in inserting it had been fair
and honest. Upon the most cursory View of the Constitution of
this Province, any Man of the least Understanding must be con-
vinced how ridiculous, how absurd, and how impolitic it is, to make
such a violent Outcry as their Honours do about the Danger of
Prerogative from the Invasions of the Peoples Representatives. The
Delegates of the Freemen of the Province compose the Lower House;
the Upper House (as has been proved beyond Doubt) are the
Creatures of the Proprietor; the Governor is his Delegate, with a
Commission during Pleasure; and the Proprietor claims, and actually
exercises, the Power of dissenting to Bills, after they have passed
the several Branches here; which fully justifies that Sarcasm of
Doctor Douglass on our Constitution, that the Legislature of Mary-
land consists of four Negatives, and the Proprietor has three of
them. To these Considerations permit me to add the Weight and
Influence of our Proprietor, arising from the Appointments in his
Gift, which amount at least to the annual Sum of Fifteen Thousand
Pounds Sterling. If their Lordships of the Board of Trade were

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made acquainted with these Circumstances, I am apt to imagine,
that they would not think themselves much obliged to the Upper
House, to see a Passage in their Report prostituted to the low Pur-
pose of serving the little abject Politics of those Gentlemen; nor
would they esteem themselves much honoured by the burlesque Figure
it makes, when applied to the public Proceedings of this Province.
Had their Lordships been to report upon our Transactions, even as
far as they are allowed to judge of them, I humbly conceive their
Language would have been to this Effect; "We are satisfied that
there is nothing so likely to preserve the Tranquility of the Province
itself, or its Affection to, and Dependence upon, the Mother Country,
as the maintaining, with a strict and steady Hand, the Rights and
Privileges of the People against the dangerous Effects of Proprietary
Influence. We cannot pretend to judge of the true Conduct of this
Province, because their Bills, for the Support of an Agent to repre-
sent their public Conduct, have been always rejected by the Upper
House; but are well assured, that the Peoples Privileges are much
more in Danger than His Majesty's Prerogatives. In order to settle
the Peace of this Colony by enabling us to judge of the Merits of
their public Disputes, we recommend it as a most necessary and
essential Measure, that they may have an Agent to lay their Transac-
tions before us. The Alarm of His Majesty's Prerogatives is noth-
ing but mere Amusement, it is therefore in vain to negotiate away

p. 54

the Peoples Privileges (the Security of which is the best Test of
their Loyalty) every new Concession becoming the Foundation of

p. 55