xxiv Introduction.

the claim made by the Delegates that the publication of Acts of Parliament in
the province by proclamation was without precedent. If the Lower House was
unwilling to make any allowance for this publication now, the Councillors were
willing to refer the matter to a future session (pp. 22, 83). It is interesting to
note that when the same subject did come up again at a later session, the
Delegates resolved unanimously that no allowance should be made to the Gov-
ernor for seals to proclamations of Acts of Parliament (p. 232).

On November 21, 1769, the Lower House sent a message to Eden in which
they congratulated him on his appointment as Governor. As to his plan for a
better academy for the instruction of colonial youths, the Delegates said that
they hoped that they would be excused from considering the matter at this
time when "the severe Season of the Year" was fast approaching (pp. 42-43).
On the following day, November 22, Eden formally thanked the Lower House
for their message (p. 47).

The Lower House had some complaints to make to the Governor. Near the
close of the 1769 session they addressed Eden giving an account of their pro-
ceedings against Richard Lee, Jr., Sheriff of Charles County. The Delegates
asked that Lee should be removed from office. The Governor promised to make
a full enquiry of the justness of the complaint against Lee (pp. 86-88, 91).
The case of Sheriff Lee is discussed later in more detail (pp. xxxiv-xxxv.)

On the closing day of the session, December 20, the members of the Lower
House complained to Governor Eden about the failure of the sheriffs in some
of the counties to pay money derived from various licenses, such as those for
innkeepers and pedlars. The Delegates asked that the bonds of the negligent
sheriffs "be put in suit immediately." The Governor promised to give the matter
his attention (pp. 115, 118).

While, as we have seen, the Lower House was unwilling to make any allow-
ance to the Governor for seals to proclamations of Acts of Parliament, and
also wished to postpone the consideration of an educational institution, rela-
tions between the Delegates and Eden had been maintained on a cordial basis.
While this cordiality continued to characterize their dealings, there now oc-
curred an incident that led the Governor to prorogue the Assembly. This
was when, on December 19, 1769, there was introduced in the Lower House
a letter from Peyton Randolph, Speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses,
addressed to the Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates. Randolph
enclosed copies of resolutions adopted on May 16, 1769, by the Virginia House
of Burgesses, which he was sending to the speakers of the several houses of
assembly of the different colonies. Although the Virginia Governor had dis-
solved the Virginia Assembly, Randolph hoped that the King would interpose
and view with favor the claims made by the Burgesses in their resolutions.

In these resolutions the Virginians maintained; first, that the sole right of
imposing taxes in the colony was vested in the House of Burgesses with the
consent of the Council, and of the King, or his Governor; second, that it was
an "undoubted Privilege" of the people of Virginia to petition their sovereign
for the redress of grievances, and to procure the concurrence of other colonies
in such matters; third, that all trials for treason, misprision of treason, or for