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L. H. J.
Liber No. 54
Nov. 8
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are Attempts, may it please your Excellency, which, as Guardians
of publick Liberty, we are indispensably obliged to take Notice of,
and to suppress in their very Beginnings: They are such a Violation
of the Law, such an Invasion of the Right of the Subject, as cannot
be submitted to by a free People.
The Proprietor has no Right, Sir, either by himself, or with the
Advice of his Council, to establish or regulate the ffees of Office; and
could we persuade ourselves, that you could possibly entertain a differ-
ent Opinion, we should be bold to tell your Excellency, that the
People of this Province ever will oppose the Usurpation of such a
Right
We will not suppose that your Excellency had any Knowledge of
or could possibly countenance these Transactions; and, therefore, we
can with the greater ffreedom remonstrate against the Conduct of
the Honourable Benedict Calvert and George Steuart, Esq.rs, who
have thus daringly insulted the whole Legislature at that Time as-
sembled for the very Purpose of regulating Officers ffees, by attempt-
ing to introduce a Regulation of ffees by Proclamation; a Measure
odious to the whole Province, to those, especially, who can remember
the Time when the illegal Project was first set on ffoot. We are
persuaded that your Excellency will, upon every Occasion, pay a due
Regard to our Constitutional Rights; and as we cannot but view
these Proceedings of the Registers of the Land Office as very high
Misdemeanors, and have thought it our Duty to remonstrate against
them, we will not entertain a Doubt but that your Excellency, upon
this Information of the representative Body, will also consider them
as great Infringements of the Rights of the People, and will imme-
diately call those Officers before you, and signify your Displeasure
at, and Disapprobation of, their Conduct, and it is our Request that,
upon a Repetition of the Offence, your Excellency will, without Hesi-
tation, displace them from their Office. The imposing an Oath
without the Authority of Law is an Offence so arbitrary and danger-
ous in its Nature, that we shall submit to your Excellency, how
prudent it may be to continue M.r William Steuart in the Magistracy.
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p. 150 [151]
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Which was read and assented to and signed by Order of the House
by the Honourable Speaker
Ordered, That M.r Smallwood and M.r Wootton do acquaint his
Excellency, that this House hath prepared an Address to be pre-
sented to him, and desires to know when and where he will be pleased
to receive it. They return, and acquaint M.r Speaker, that the Gov-
ernor signified he would receive the Address immediately in the
Council Chamber
Ordered, That M.r Speaker, attended by the whole House, do
present the Address to his Excellency. M.r Speaker, upon his Return,
reports, that he delivered the Address to his Excellency.
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