Introduction. xliii

Hanson, Thomas Johnson, Samuel Chase, Thomas Ringgold, William Mur-
dock, John Goldsborough, James Hollyday, and Brice Thomas Beale Worthing-
ton. To this group there were now added William Paca, and Matthew Tilgh-
man, the last named a prominent leader in former assemblies. Sharpe wrote to
Hamersley about this time that the influence of Worthington and Johnson in
the Lower House was great (Arch. Md. XIV, 460). Edward Tilghman of
Queen Anne's, one of the outstanding popular leaders in the house, must have
been ill or out of the Province as he was not present at any time during this
session. The leaders of the Proprietary faction, or "court party", in the Lower
House were almost entirely from St. Mary's, Calvert, Worcester, and Somerset
counties. The most influential were perhaps Daniel Wolstenholme, Charles
Grahame, Samuel Wilson and William Hayward.

The recent difficulties with the mother country incidental to the Stamp Act
had for the time somewhat thrown into the shade the long standing struggles
between the Proprietary or "court" interest, represented by the Governor and
the Upper House, and the "public" as represented by the popular or "county"
party in the Lower House. The recent election would appear to have strength-
ened the popular party, but during this session the political struggles between
the two parties remained in the background, and measures favored by the
public, while brought forward and passed in a routine manner in the Lower
House, did not in many cases, following rejection in the upper chamber, give
rise to acrimonious messages, the controversial questions having been brought
forward and voted upon in order to keep the record of the popular party clear.
Sharpe wrote of this session that "the greatest harmony" prevailed (Arch. Md.
XIV, 506).

The Lower House organized on May 24, 1768, in the usual way. Two mem-
bers notified the Governor that there were a sufficient number [thirty-four] of
delegates present in the "Stadt House" to compose an Assembly. The Clerk of
the Upper House and two of its members were sent to the Lower House and
administered the oaths to the several members present; two members of the
Upper House then notified the delegates that the Governor required their at-
tendance in the Upper House, where they were requested by the Governor to
return and choose a speaker. Robert Lloyd was thereupon again unanimously
elected Speaker and placed in the chair and two members of the Lower House
so notified the Governor; two members of the Upper House then notified the
delegates that the Governor again required their presence; the delegates went to
the Upper House and presented Lloyd as their choice for Speaker, whereupon
the Governor approved their choice. Sharpe then made his opening speech to
the members of both houses (p. 325-327).

The Governor in this opening speech first referred to letters he had received
from Sir William Johnson, the King's Superintendent of Indian affairs for this
district, on behalf of the [Nanticoke] Indians, who had removed to Otsaningo
in the Province of New York and been incorporated with the Six Nations, and
who had petitioned to be allowed to sell their Maryland lands. This request of
the Nanticokes and the subsequent action of the Assembly upon it, will be dis-
cussed more fully in a later section on the Nanticoke Indians (pp. lxxviii-lxxxi).