xx Introduction.

In order to enable these various committees to function properly, clerks were
appointed to assist them in the performance of their duties. On October 3,
the day following the opening of the session in 1771, the Lower House selected
Thomas Brooke Hodgkin and William Wright as clerks "to the several Com-
mittees." They had to swear not to divulge the secrets of the House or of any
committee (pp. 83-84). Hodgkin had acted as committee clerk during the
session of the General Assembly held in 1770 (Arch. Md. LXII, xx). Some-
time later Wright was at his own request discharged from any further at-
tendance as a committee clerk (p. 209).

Other men who were appointed committee clerks were St. George Peale (pp.
84, 85), James Hackman and John Courts Jones (p. 98). About a month later
Hackman was excused from any further duties as a committee clerk (p. 144).
James Brooks was another man appointed a committee clerk during the session
of the Assembly which met during the fall of 1771 (p. 106). He had served
as one during the 1769 session of the General Assembly (Arch. Md. LXII, xx).

During the session of the Assembly, which met from June 15 to July 3, in
1773, Thomas Brooke Hodgkin, John Courts Jones (pp. 339, 341), St. George
Peale, Thomas Maddox and Robert Wright were appointed committee clerks
(pp. 351, 353-354)- Before the session ended Wright was discharged as a
clerk (p. 380).

Sometimes joint committees composed of members of both the Upper and
Lower Houses were appointed to consider some important bill. The most
important instance of this was when during the session which met in the fall
of 1771 such a committee was appointed to consider the bill entitled "An Act
for amending the Staple of Tobacco for preventing Frauds in his Majestys
Customs and for the Limitation of Officers Fees" (pp. 18, 135-138). The meet-
ing of this joint committee is discussed elsewhere (pp. xxvii-xxxi). Another
joint committee appointed during the 1771 session was for the purpose of
inspecting "the Office and Proceedings of the Commissioners for emitting Bills
of Credit" (pp. 6, 7, 83, 85). A similar joint committee was appointed during
the session of the General Assembly which met in June and July of 1773,
In all such cases the Upper and Lower Houses would notify each other of their
respective appointees to such a committee (pp. 312, 340, 342).

CHAPLAINS

As has been pointed out in a previous volume, this is a convenient way of
designating the Anglican ministers in Maryland who performed duties similar
to the modern chaplain (Arch. Md. LXII, xx). On October 3, the day after
the Assembly convened in 1771, the Reverend (Jonathan) Boucher was re-
quested by the members of the Lower House to read divine service every morn-
ing during the session at quarter past eight (p. 83). Boucher had performed
the same duties at the session of the General Assembly which met from Sep-
tember 25 to November 2, in the year 1770 (Arch. Md. LXII, xx). There is
no record of who acted as chaplain at the meeting of the Assembly in June-July,

1773.