x Letter of Transmittal.

with his Lady and Family; on the Ship's coming to an Anchor, off the City, she
fired Seven Guns, which were returned by an equal Number, but on his Excel-
lency's coming on Shore, in the Evening, he was met by all the Members of the
Council then in Town, and a great Number of other Gentlemen, under a Dis-
charge of all the Cannon on the Battery.—

And, on Tuesday Morning about 10 o'Clock, his Excellency went up to the
Council-House, attended by his Lordship's Honourable Council, where his Ex-
cellency's Commission was opened and published, after which, he was pleased to
issue the following proclamation (For this proclamation of himself as Governor
and an account of these proceedings, see Arch. Md. XXXII, 274-279; and for
a description of the Council House, the Governor's House, the Court House,
where the Delegates met, see William Eddis, Letters from America, 1769-1777,
pp. 14, 15, 17).

Governor Eden held his first meeting with his Council in its advisory capacity
on June 12 (Arch. Md. XXXII, 283). He read to the members then present
the lengthy instructions which he had received from the King regarding trade
and navigation between Great Britain and the American colonies (ibid. 283-
300). Later he produced the instructions which he had received from Frederick
Calvert, the Lord Proprietary (ibid. 302-305). On the same day Governor
Eden, with the approval of his Council, prorogued the General Assembly from
July 27 to November 14, 1769 (ibid. 306). If the Assembly convened, the
Governor was afraid that the Delegates might adopt resolutions similar to those
passed by the Virginia House of Burgesses (see Introduction, pp. xxiv-xxv).

As there were not a sufficient number of Delegates in Annapolis "to make
an House" on November 14, it had to be prorogued to the following day. As
the same situation existed on the 15th and 16th, the Assembly did not convene
until the 17th. Eden wrote that "contrary Winds" had prevented a number of
Delegates from arriving on time at Annapolis (Correspondence of Gov. Eden,
Md. Hist. Mag. Vol. II, 231). The session which began on November 17
lasted until December 20. This was the second session of the Assembly which
had been elected in 1767. There were only thirty of the fifty-eight Dele-
gates, who had been elected at that time, present at the opening of the second
session (pp. 1, 3, 37-38, 119).

On December 20, 1769, Governor Eden prorogued this Assembly to meet
again on May 8, 1770 (p. 119). The Delegates had passed resolutions similar to
those adopted by the Virginia House of Burgesses (see Introduction, pp. xxiv-
xxv). At a meeting with the Council on March 31, 1770, the Governor decided
to prorogue the Assembly until August 7, 1770 (Arch. Md. XXXII, 335). Ac-
cording to a notice appearing in the Maryland Gazette for July 5, 1770, the
General Assembly was further prorogued to September 24, 1770. As bad
weather prevented a number of Delegates from arriving at Annapolis, the As-
sembly had to be prorogued to the following day (Maryland Gazette, Sept. 27,