xxiv Introduction.

at the opening and closing of each day's meeting (p. 135). He is not styled
chaplain, however. This was David Love who had recently arrived in Mary-
land, and only a few days before the opening of this session, October 29, 1765,
had been inducted by Sharpe as rector of the neighboring parish of All Hal-
lows, Anne Arundel County. Some ten years later, Love writing from Mary-
land to Sharpe after the latter's return to England, under date of May 23,
1774, said that he had never interfered in legislative squabbles and though
chaplain of the Lower House had never stayed after prayers to hear a single
debate (Maryland Historical Magazine IV: 1909, p. 256). A somewhat doubt-
ful compliment to Lower House oratory. The usual "resolves" or resolutions,
in great part protests against the pretensions of the Lord Proprietary and asser-
tions of the rights of the people, were adopted (pp. 133, 135). These resolves,
which were invariably adopted by the Lower House at the first meeting follow-
ing the election of a new house, may be looked upon as a Bill of Rights and
Declaration of Independence of Proprietary control. As they have already
been fully discussed in the introduction to a previous volume of the Archives
(LVI; xv-xvi) they need not be considered in much detail here. In these
resolves the Committee of Grievances and Courts of Justice was urged to see
to it that no changes be made in the form of the oath of office taken by judges
which would lessen their obligation to hear and determine all cases according
to the laws of England and the Province of Maryland, free from pressure by
King or Proprietary. This was emphasized because it was the claim of the
people that all the laws of England were in force in the Province unless there
were Maryland statutes to the contrary. The resolves further affirmed the
rights of the inhabitants, as free citizens of a free English colony (and not as
inhabitants of a conquered country), to enjoy and have the benefits of all Eng-
lish laws and liberties. It will be noted that this same claim was insisted upon
in the resolves adopted at the September session in opposition to the Stamp
Act. The resolves also declared that the collection of the twelvepence export
duty on every hogshead of tobacco sent out of the Province was not warranted
by the Act of 1704, as asserted by the Proprietary, but that even if that act
were valid, threepence of the twelvepence should go toward the defense of the
Province, and not, as it now did, like the remainder of the duty, into the pockets
of the Proprietary (pp. 133-135).

As no regular committees of the Lower House had been appointed at the
short September session, this was now done. These were the: (1) Committee
of Elections and Privileges, 5 members, (2) Committee to Inspect Public
Offices, 7 members, (3) Committee of Grievances and Courts of Justice, 6
members, (4) Committee to Inquire into what Laws were about to Expire,
4 members, (6) Committee of Accounts, 6 members (pp. 137-140). These
committees were not restricted as to number, and additional members were
added to several of them from time to time as the session advanced. Commit-
tees seem always to have been appointed by action of the house itself and not
by the Speaker. The Committee to Inspect the Office of the Commissioners or
Trustees for Emitting Bills of Credit (the Loan Office) was the only regular
joint committee of both houses. The members appointed by the Upper House