VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS, NOVEMBER SESSION, 1807. 93

the bill being read throughout, the question was put, Shall the said bill pass? Resolved in the affirmative;

which was sent to the senate by the clerk.

Mr. Mitchell, from the committee, delivers to the speaker a bill, entitled, An act to make the bridge built by
Zenas Wells over Principio creek, in Caecil county, a toll-bridge; which was read the first time and ordered to
lie on the table.

The clerk of the senate delivers the bill authorising Nathaniel Oldham, Absalom Oldham and James Cockran,
to complete their collections, the hill annulling the marriage of Joseph Boyd, and Elizabeth his wife, the bill to
lay out and make a public road from Thomas Richardson's mill, in Montgomery county, to intersect the main
road leading to the town of Bladensburgh, in Prince-George's county, and the bill authorising Jasper E. Tilly,
late sheriff of Anne-Arundel county, to complete his collection, severally endorsed, " will pass. " Ordered to
be engrossed. The supplement to an act, entitled, An act authorising Joseph Green, late sheriff and collector
of Charles county, to complete his collections, and for other purposes, endorsed, " will not pass. " The bill tor
the relief of Nathaniel L. Chew, Peter Miles and Robert Nesbit, of Baltimore county, endorsed, " on recon-
sideration the 1st, 2d and 5th amendments receded from. " Ordered to be engrossed. A bill, entitled, A further
supplement to the act, entitled, An act to incorporate companies to make several turnpike roads through Balti-
more county, and for other purposes, a bill, entitled, An act to incorporate a society to educate and maintain
poor orphan and other destitute female children, by the name of The Orphaline Charity School, and to repeal
the act of assembly therein mentioned, severally endorsed, " will pass; " which were read the first time and or-
dered to lie on the table. The resolution in favour of John Smith Brooks, endorsed, assented to. " And
the following report, endorsed, " unanimously assented to. "

To THOMAS JEFFERSON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

WE, the representatives of the people of Maryland, highly appreciating the happiness and prosperity of
the United States, would do injustice to our own feelings, and those of our constituents, did we not, at this
eventful crisis, offer to you this our testimony of the wisdom and integrity of your administration, and our ap-
probation of those measures which, under the guidance of Divine Providence, have secured to the American
people the blessings of peace, whilst war and insatiate ambition have devastated the fairest portions of Europe.
But when we indulge in mutual felicitations at the enjoyment of that tranquillity, under the auspices of which
our country hath grown rich and great, we have most sincerely to lament, that an honest endeavour to do equal
justice to all nations, under a conscientious and dignified neutrality, hath nut availed to exempt our happy shores
from the sound of war. A national vessel, bound to a distant service, hath been wantonly and unprovokedly
attacked by a British ship of war, in sight of our own coast, and almost within our own harbours—the blood of
our brave seamen hath flown in this barbarian outrage, and their lives have fallen the victims of piratical domi-
nation other American citizens, sailing under the protection of that flag, and in the service of their country,
have been dragged From that protection and service, confined in a degrading captivity, and compelled, ignomi-
niously, to tight in the war of nations with whom we were at peace, and in whose animosities the government
of our country evince no participation. The citizens of Maryland, indignant at this flagrant and unprecedent-
ed outrage upon our national character, assembled in various districts of the state, and manifested their feelings
in addressing the constituted authorities of their country in strong and energetic language, and we, the common,
organ of their will, would unfaithfully represent that people, did we tail to reiterate their high resentment and
patriotic determination, to brave all the calamities of war rather than tamely submit to the tyranny and inso-
lence of any nation.

Well aware that the peace of our country is menaced from various quarters, and that it is our duty to take a
firm and decided stand against any nation that may demand concessions incompatible with our honour and inde-
pendence, we avail ourselves of the moment, to declare our confidence in the firmness and energy of the present
administrators of our government, and our disposition to sacrifice our lives and property in repelling the wan-
ton aggressions or lawless claims of all nations. Although the blood of our countrymen hath been shed, and
our citizens led into captivity, by the arm of a foreign power, and although domestic traitors have reared their
hydra front, and endangered our peace and national happiness, still we indulge the pleasing reflection, that the
government of our country have preserved a manly and dignified attitude, evincing to the world an unshaken
determination to concede no point inconsistent with the honour of our country, and the safety of its citizens.
But notwithstanding this well grounded confidence, we should do great violence to our own feelings, and those
of the citizens of Maryland, did we fail to communicate our sentiments upon one point in dispute between this
country and Great Britain, we mean the general right of our flag to protect all American seamen who sail un-
der it. It is with the most poignant sensations we recognise the fact, that thousands of our native citizens are
at this moment confined in ignominious bondage on board of British ships of war, exiled from their country,
their families and friends, and compelled ingloriously to fight for the establishment of principles repugnant to
natural justice and the usages of nations; and it is with strong emotions of contempt we hear this inestimable,
right treated as trivial and unimportant, and declarations made, that the United Stales ought not to hazard the
horrors and calamities of war tor the protection of her citizen seamen. Though we fervently deprecate the
evils of war and though we highly appreciate the value of peace, yet we sincerely hope, that the general pro-
tection of American citizens, sailing under our flag, will be made the sine qua non of our amity with every nati-
on on earth;