Introduction. xxvii

died on November 27 at his plantation in Baltimore County while the Assembly
was in session (Md. Gaz. Dec. 4, 1766). The Maryland Gazette for Jan. 27,
1767, duly records that Captain John Hammond Dorsey was elected in the
room of Mr. James Heath; but he did not take his seat, as this Assembly was
dissolved before another meeting of it was held.

Sharpe opened the session with the usual opening speech delivered before
both houses. He had called the Assembly together, he said, at the season which
he knew was most agreeable to them, and he was persuaded they would endeavor
to improve the good understanding that had subsisted between the two houses
at the last session; and he assured them that it was his desire to act agreeably
to their inclination, and the height of his ambition to merit their good opinion.
He also told them that he had received from the King's Minister copies of
the acts of Parliament lately passed to the advantage of the colonies, which
he was notifying by proclamation, and he took the opportunity to congratulate
them on the happy turn of affairs in favor of the colonies (p. 138). These acts
of Parliament related to the repeal of the Stamp Act, and to colonial trade,
and had been passed at the last Parliament (Arch. Md. XXXII, 150-151,
160-163).

The Lower House organized in the usual way, as has already been described
at the May session (pp. 17-19), except as to the swearing in of the members.
It was customary for members of the Lower House to be sworn in only at
the first meeting following the election of a new Assembly, and it will be
recalled that the members of this house had already been sworn at the opening
of the May, 1765, session, but under an act passed by the last Parliament
changing the form of one of the oaths required to be taken by all public
officials, they were again sworn in before two members of the Upper House
and the Clerk. This change was in the form of the oath of abjuration and
assurance, which all the members took in its new form (p. 138). Michael
Macnemara continued as Clerk of the Lower House. The Reverend Robert
Read, who had served as chaplain of the May session, was again selected to
"read Divine Service morning and afternoon" (p. 138).

The new oath of abjuration was also administered to Robert Saunders, the
Sergeant-at-arms, and to Cornelius Howard, the Doorkeeper, as well as to
the clerks of the several Lower House committees, viz., John Duckett, Turbutt
Wright, Thomas Duckett, and Henry Wilkins.

The Lower House replied in an address to the opening speech of Governor
Sharpe. The Governor was thanked for his speech, the house declaring that
it was its ambition to merit his good opinion as well as the approbation of
their constituents, and to preserve the harmony between the several branches
of the legislature which was essentially necessary for the general interest.
The house added that, although an earlier meeting of the Assembly would
have been more agreeable to them, they were sensible that this would not
have been practical, because the courts of law, having sat in September, this
would have interfered with an earlier meeting. Sentiments of loyalty and
gratitude were expressed for the King and Parliament (pp. 140-141). This
last reference was of course to the repeal of the Stamp Act, only recently