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Contempo-
rary Printed
Pamphlet
Md.Hist.Soc.
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And when all these animating Cries have been hitherto drowned,
by the hoarse rough Voice of Party, with what Reason can we
flatter ourselves, that the several Branches of our Legislature will
ever concur in any Measures conducive to the Happiness and Pros-
perity of the Province? Our Situation is truly deplorable, and he
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p. 67
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who expects any Change for the better, while we are left to our-
selves, feeds himself with delusive Visions, and not with a rational
well-grounded Hope.
These are the Sentiments of every considerate Man among us, and
our Governor has, upon a late public Occasion, expressed his Appre-
hension, that unless His Majesty would be pleased to interpose, no
Supplies could be expected from this Province *. Why then are we
laid under the peculiar Hardship, why are we distinguished from
every other Colony in America, in being debarred from giving our
own Money for the Support of an Agent at home § ? If there were
any Thing exceptionable in the Bills so frequently sent to the Upper
by the Lower House, for this Purpose, why did not their Honours
exercise the Privilege they claim of amending them ? But their con-
stant Method, for some Years past, of treating these Bills, has been
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p. 68
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either not to send them down at all, or to return them with an abso-
lute Negative, the former of which was the Case in the very last
Session, so that their Honours have not even this flimsy Excuse
with regard to these Bills, which they have urged in their Behalf
with respect to the last Assessment Bill, that they would not make
any Objections to the present, because they had made some to a
former House. Hence it may fairly be concluded, that their Honours
are Enemies to the very Spirit and main Intention of such a Bill, the
submitting of our Disputes to His Majesty's Decision; for they
cannot with any Face say they rejected the Bill, because it was liable
in its Mode to Objections; for the Answer will be ready, Why did
not their Honours propose Amendments, and thereby shew that
their View was not to condemn the Bill, but to make it more perfect ?
* "As the Lower House Journal, for the Session held in March, 1758, contained the
Arguments that had been urged by both Houses against, and in Support of, the
Supply Bill you seem to allude to, I took the Liberty (being as desirous as any
Gentleman among you to have the Dispute finally determined) to refer Mr. Pitt,
who was then one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, to that Journal
in particular, for a clear and full State of the Dispute which had subsisted between
the two Houses; and I moreover told him, that I was afraid no Supplies for the
King's Service would be granted in this Province, unless His Majesty would be
pleased to have the Dispute thoroughly examined into, and finally settled." Govern-
or's Message to the Lower House, March 20, 1762. [This appears as a footnote
in the original.]
§ In the Court Calendars, for several Years back, I observe that ———— Calvert,
Esq; is put down under the Maryland Article as Agent, by whom I take for
granted is meant Caecilius Calvert, Esq; Uncle to the Proprietor. By whose Man-
agement, or with what View this Article is inserted, I cannot determine; but if the
Design of it be, to make the World believe that this Gentleman is our Provincial
Agent, it is a gross Imposition. I do hereby declare, without the least Appre-
hension of being contradicted, that he never was, or is at present, Agent for Mary-
land, nor have the People of this Province any other Person to represent them
in that Character. [This is a footnote in the original.]
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