566 Appendix.

B. PETITIONS AGAINST REMOVAL OF THE
COUNTY SEAT

[THE FOLLOWING NINE PETITIONS, ENTIRELY IN MANU-
SCRIPT, HAVE EACH THE SAME PHRASEOLOGY. THE TOTAL
SIGNATURES NUMBER 901. THE FIRST SEVEN ARE IN THE
SAME HANDWRITING; THE LAST TWO IN A DIFFERENT
HAND. THEY SEEM TO HAVE BEEN FASTENED TOGETHER
FOR MANY YEARS. THEY ARE NOT NUMBERED, BUT FOR
CONVENIENCE ARE GIVEN ROMAN NUMBERS HERE.]

[Petition i]

Maryland
Historical
Society

To his Excellency Horatio Sharpe Esq.^r Governor and Commander
in Chief in and over the Province of Maryland, and is the Hon-
our,^ble the Upper and lower Houses, of Assembly of the Said
Province.
The Petition of the Subscribers Inhabitants of Baltemore County
for and in behalf of themselves and others.
Humbly Sheweth.
That the Court House at Joppa, is large and Commodious enough
at present to Contain with Convenience all the Suitors Jurymen
Witnesses and others resorting to said Court and is larger than many
Court Houses in the said Province and the Offices therein large and
Convenient, enough for the purpose of Transacting the Public
Business.
That the said buildings being at present out of repair arises from
the Interested Views of a part of the Inhabitants of said County in
or near Baltemore Town who by violence at a late and former Elec-
tions have Torn damaged and Defaced the same, with a design of
Destroying the same, and thereby paving a Way for a removall to
Baltimore Town

That the said Court House is sorrounded on every Side with
Houses in said Town and is nearly in the Center thereof and that
any Malicious attempt to destroy the same will stand as fair a Chance
of being Discovered timely enough to prevent the same as that of
any other Court House in the Province.
That the Road leading over the Isthmus to said Town not being
bad above one hundred yards in length may be made and kept good
at a very Trifling Expence.

That the Goal is built with Stone and may be made as strong as
any other stone House and that the Expence of inclosing a yard for
the Convenience of Prisoners enjoying the Benefit of free Air &
Exercise and thereby preventing Sickness among them will be at-
tended with no more Expence at Joppa than at Baltemore Town or
Else where