xcii Introduction.

of Baltimore County, Daniel Chamier, to attend a hearing on the petition
(p. 348). After this hearing, held before the bar of the house, when witnesses
were heard, the house voted to postpone action for three days so that the com-
plaint against the election of Deye could also be heard at the same time (pp. 370,
371, 372). On June 14th, after hearing various witnesses, the house voted that
none of the four sitting members had been duly elected, and all were "excused"
from further attendance by a vote of 21 to 18, the house refusing to allow any
"recourse" to the complainant Dorsey because he had been as guilty as the four
unseated delegates in treating voters at the election, this treating being the reason
for unseating the four delegates (pp. 378, 379). The Maryland Gazette, in its
issue for June i6th, announced that the election had been declared void, and
added that the Lower House had honorably acquitted allegations against the
the High Sheriff (Chamier) made by Dorsey. Reference to the acquittal of
the High Sheriff is also to be found in the journal of the house (p. 372). The
Lower House then ordered the Speaker to issue his warrant to the Secretary
of the Province for writs of election directed to the Sheriff of Baltimore County
for the election of four delegates in the room of the unseated members (p. 380).
It is to be noted that at the 1769 Assembly, Chamier, the Sheriff, was censured
and fined by the Lower House for conducting this special election held July 5,
1768, in an irregular manner, and the four Baltimore County delegates again
unseated. The house fixed the fees to be charged against the complainants.
John Hammond Dorsey was assessed £61:4:0 for summons issued by the
clerk and served by the sergeant-at-arms, as well as the costs of the forty-one
witnesses brought to Annapolis; and Charles Ridgely, the other complainant,
was ordered to pay £4:2:0 as costs (p. 385). That the Baltimore County
electors did not look upon treating at an election as seriously as did the Lower
House, is shown by the fact that at the special election held on July 5, 1768,
John Ridgely, John Moale, and Robert Adair, just unseated, were reelected
(Maryland Gazette, July 14, 1768). That Thomas Cockey Deye was not re-
elected, and George Risteau selected in his place, was doubtless due to other
causes than alcoholic bribery of electors. Perhaps the struggle over the removal
of the county seat from Joppa to Baltimore Town which Deye opposed played
a part in his defeat. Robert Adair died, October 22, of the same year. The
Maryland Gazette for July 14, 1768, after duly recording the election of Messrs.
Ridgely, Moale, Risteau, and Adair, adds, "We are informed the above Gent,
carefully avoided Treating both before and after the Election to prevent the least
colour for a second complaint on that account."

On June 15th, 1768, the Speaker informed the house that he had received a
petition "rumored to be from certain freeholders of Anne Arundel County",
complaining against the late election in that county, but when the order of the
house, dated June 7th was read, to the effect that no new business be received
after June nth, the house refused to receive the petition (p. 382). Whether
treating at election also played a part in the Anne Arundel election complaint
is not disclosed by the journal.

On the day that the 1768 Assembly adjourned the house adopted a series
of resolves, which were to be standing rules of the house. One defined the