" CHARLES, absolute Lord and Propruetary of the
Provinces of Maryalnd
" and Avalon, Lord Baron of Baltimore, &c.
To the Sheriff of
" County, Greeting. These are to command, authorize and impower you,
immediately
" upon Receipt hereof, to call together Three or more Justivces of your
" County, whereof One to be of the Quorum, with the Clerk of the
County
" Court, who are hereby required to sit as a Court, and during their Sitting,
by
" virtue of your Office, to make, or cause to be made, public Proclamation,
thereby
" giving Notice to all the Freemen of your said County, who have within
the
" said COunty a Free-hold of Fifty Acres of Land, or who shall be Residents,
and
" have a visible Estate of Forty Poinds Sterling at te least, thereby
requiring
" them to appear at your County Court-House, at a certain Time, not less
htan
" Ten Days after sich Proclamation made, for electing and choosing Deputies
and
" Delegates to serve for your said County in a General Assembly, to be
holden at
"
the
Day of
to which TIme you shall adjourn
" your said Court; and during the Court's Sitting, the said Freemen so
required
" to appear, or the major Part of such of them as shall then appear, shall
and
" may, and are hereby authorized and required to elect and choose Four
several and
" sufficient Freemen of your County, each of them having a Free-hold of
Fifty
" Acres of Land, or who shall be a Resident, and have a visible Estate
of Forty
" Pounds Sterling at the least, within your County, whether the Parties
so elected
" be present or absent, the said Election to be made in such Manner and
Form as
" the Laws of England and this Province do direct and provide.
And you are to
" insert the Names of the said Persons elected, in certain Indentures to
be then
" made between you the said Sheriff, and the Electors, (That is to
say,) Two Indentures
" for eachDelegate, each Indentire having thereto your Hand and Seal,
" and the Hands and Seals of the several Electors by them subscribed, that
the
" said Deputies and Delegates for themselves,and the County aforesaid,
may have
" severally full and sufficient Power to do and consent to those Things,
which then
" and there, by the Favour of GOD, shall happen to be ordained,
by the ADvice
" and Consent of the Great Council of this Province, concerning such Occasions
" and Affairs as shall relate to the Government, State and Defence thereof.
But
" we will not in any wise that you, or anyother Sheriff in your said Province
be elected.
" And upon such Election, you the said Sheriff, so soon as conveniently
may
" be, give Notice to the Parties elected, if absent, and certify and transmit
to the
" Governor, or Keeper of the Great Seal of this Province, for the Time
being
" One of the Two several and respective Indentures, affixed to these Presents,
close
" Sealed up, and directed tot he Governor, or Keeper of the Great Seal
of this
" Province, for the Time being, and the other Part of the said Indentures,
you
" are to keep for your Justification. Witness, &c."
IV. And
be it further Enacted, by the Authority aforesaid , by and with
the
Advice and Consent aforesaid, That the aforesaid Four Delegates to
be elected
in the respective COunties within this Province, be and are hereby bound
and
obliged to attend at the Time and Place of the Meeting of such Assembly,
without any further Writ or Summons to be to them sent, under the Penalty
of such Fines as shall be by the Lower house of Assembly imposed on them,
unless upon sufficient Excuse to be admitted byu the Lower House of Assembly,
their Absence be dispensed with; any Law, Usage or Custom to the contrary
notwithstanding.
V. Provided also,
That no Ordinary-Keeper within this Province, during
the Time of his Ordinary-keeping, or any other Person disabled by any Laws
of England from sitting in Parliament, shall be elected, chosen,
or serve as
a Deputy or Representative in the said General Assembly, so to be hereafter
called, convened and appointed, as aforesaid.
VI. And be it further
Enacted, by the Authority aforesaid, That any Sheriff
within this Province, who shall not give speedy Notice to the Inhabitants
of
his County, of the TIme and Place where such Election shall be made, as |
CHAP.
XI.
Form.
Delegates neglecting
to
attend, may
be fined at the
Pleasure of
the Lower
House.
Ordinary-Keepers,
&c.
not capable of
serving in the
Assembly. |
