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Maryland Manual, 1907-08
Volume 119, Page 92   View pdf image (33K)
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92 MARYLAND MANUAL.

indeed, to annul Baltimore's authority altogether; so he was
superseded, and Baltimore's brother, Philip Calvert appointed
governor. The Proprietary, in person or by deputy, was the
chief executive, assisted by the council. The Legislature
sat in two Houses, the Governor and Council forming the
Upper House, and the elected representatives of the free-
men the Lower House. All legislation originated, with the
Assembly, subject to the Proprietary's assent. The form
was, therefore, that of a liberal constitutional monarchy,
with popular representation.

In 1661, Charles Calvert, only son of Cecilius, was sent out
as governor. He was liked by the people, and the Province
steadily grew and prospered under his administration. A firm
treaty of peace had been made with the Susquehannoughs, a
warlike nation of Indians at the head of the bay, and the
native tribes of Maryland were taken under the protection of
the government. Peace reigned throughout the province; and
the only serious grievance of the colonists was the over-pro-
duction of tobacco, which the government in vain tried to
check. Money was excessively scarce; and the great staple,
tobacco, was the general circulating medium for a hundred.
years or more.

Cecilius Calvert died in 1675, and Charles, third Baron of
Baltimore, succeeded to his title and dominions. During his
administration occurred a transaction which was to result in
the loss to Maryland of a large part of her territory. William
Penn, to whose father's estate the crown owed a large sum,
obtained from King Charles II, in lieu of payment, the grant
of a tract of land west of the Delaware river and north of
Maryland. There was nothing in this grant that encroached
upon Maryland's territory, for the fortieth parallel was named
in both charters as the southern boundary of the one, and
the northern boundary of the other. Penn, however, was
extremely anxious to carry his southern boundary to the
head of the bay; and after many fruitless attempts to induce
Baltimore to agree to a change of a boundary line to his ad-
vantage, refused to join him in fixing it, and so the line was
left undetermined. He also obtained from the Duke of York,
(afterwards James II,) a grant of the land bounding on the
west side of the Delaware bay, south of Cape Henlopen,
land which the Duke had no power to convey, as it was
already included in the Maryland charter. Of this also Penn
kept a firm hold.

The Protestant revolution, as it was called, which de-
throned James and gave the crown to William and Mary,
Strongly stirred men's minds, even in distant Maryland. Balti-
more had sent out orders to have the new sovereigns pro-

 

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Maryland Manual, 1907-08
Volume 119, Page 92   View pdf image (33K)
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