Introduction. xxi

doorkeeper (p. 208). He probably continued performing these duties during
the short November 5-21 session which followed.

A serjeant-at-arms was also employed by the Lower House. The session
which met in May and June of 1768 appointed Robert Saunders to this position
(Arch. Md. LXI, 328). He continued to act as serjeant-at-arms during the
session which met in 1769 (pp. 73, 74), and probably during both sessions
held in 1770 (pp. 288, 304).

The duties of this officer can be determined from the instructions which he
received from the members of the Lower House. He was, for example, asked
to take into his "custody the bodies" of so and so, or to summon persons before
the House to answer charges made against them (pp. 68, 253, 270, 290, 301,
374, 403-404). In one instance the serjeant-at-arms was ordered to deliver
a person in his custody to the sheriff (p. 305): in another case the serjeant-at-
arms was instructed to take into his custody the sheriff himself, and his deputies,
for their alleged illegal distress proceedings (pp. 387, 402-403). Serjeants-at-
arms could depute others to execute an order (pp. 73-74, 270, 288, 292).

JOINT MEETINGS OF THE UPPER AND LOWER HOUSES

Joint meetings were held for various reasons. On the opening day of each
session, as soon as the Governor received word from the Lower House that
there were a sufficient number of members present "to make a House,"
then the Governor would notify the Speaker of the Lower House that
he desired the Delegates, together with their Speaker, to come to the room
where the Upper House met. There the Governor would address the joint
meeting, making recommendations of what he wanted accomplished during
the session (pp. 3-4, 171-172, 206, 207, 347), or express his appreciation
of what had been done (p. 119), or, sometimes, prorogue the Assembly (pp.

119, 307, 432) The Lower House choice of a Speaker had to be confirmed

by the Governor at a joint meeting of both Houses (pp. 206, 382-383, 393-394).
The two Houses also met together for the purpose of passing laws which
hitherto had been acted on favorably by each House separately (pp. 77-78, 118-
119, 175, 263, 370-371, 374, 431-432).

PROPRIETARY-PROVINCIAL CONTROVERSIES
RELATIONS BETWEEN THE PROPRIETARY AND GENERAL ASSEMBLY, 1769

When the General Assembly met on November 17, 1769, Governor Eden
requested the members of the Lower House to come to the Council Chamber for
a joint meeting with the Upper House. At that meeting the Governor delivered
the message of the Lord Proprietary, which was addressed to both the Upper
and Lower Houses. In his message Lord Baltimore praised the last Governor,
Horatio Sharpe, for his many years of faithful service. Although the new
Governor, Robert Eden, was his brother-in-law, Frederick Calvert, the Lord
Proprietary, said that he would not have appointed him if he did not think that
Eden would endeavour to promote the interests of Maryland (pp. 4, 39).