112 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONVENTION [1776.

The committee appointed to consider the truth of the facts set
forth in a memorial from the justices of Baltimore couuny court, and
report their opinion thereon,

Do report, That the uneasiness in the minds of many of the in-
habitants of Baltimore county arises from the uncommon increase
of taxes therein, extraordinary assessments being made for the erect-
ing public buildings and bridges, clearing, straightening, opening,
grubbing, and stoning roads, and paying their proportion towards
building a prison, court house, &c. in Harford county.

That sundry inhabitants of Baltimore county were and are averse
to clearing, opening, and staightening said roads, and intended to
petition the legislative body of this province for a repeal of the law
authorising the same, or an alteration thereof in such parts as they
apprehended aggreived them; but being prevented by the unhappy
disputes subsisting between the colonies and Great Biitain from
making application for redress of Such apprehended grievances to
the assembly of this province, they have been led into an unlaw-
ful and unwarrantable opposition to the collection of the public
taxes, which the necessary embargo laid on our ports has tendered
greatly to increase.

That a great number of the said inhabitants have paid the said tax-
es, and they being imposed by virtue of sundry acts of the assembly,
your committee are of opinion, the residue of the said inhabitants
are in duty bound to pay those already assessed, as they clearly had
it in their power to discharge them, the ports being open and a price
offered for all manner of country produce till the 10th of Septem-
ber last.

That the remainder of the said money, directed by the said acts
of assembly to be levied, ought, by the justices of the said county,
pursuant to the said acts, to be assessed; but if trade and commerce
should not be restored in such manner as to enable the people of
the said county to discharge the said taxes, that the legislative au-
thority for the time being ought, in such circumstances, to suspend
the payment of the same (except such part thereof as shall be as-
sessed for the paying for the building of the poor house and inspec-
tion house in said county) or take order therein in such other way
as to them shall seem most expedient.

That it is the opinion of this committee, that the money appropri-
ated for loan, to the inhabitants of Baltimore county, for clearing and
opening roads, by act of assembly, and delivered out by the commis-
sioners for emitting bills of credit to the supervisors of said roads,
or so much thereof as hath been expended, and all sums levied or
hereafter to be levied on the inhabitants of said county, for the pur-