60 HIS LORDSHIP'S PATRONAGE

for each shore, who then disbursed these funds as the Assembly,
or the Governor and Council, should direct. All of these officers
took commissions on the sums accounted for while sheriffs and
Naval Officers also had fees.

There later appeared certain other officials. After 1733 there
were two or three Commissioners of the Paper Currency Office, or
Loan Office, paid by a salary and by occasional commissions, who
in turn kept a clerk at a salary. The Supply Acts of 1740, 1746,
and 1756 appointed Agents to receive and disburse, at a com-
mission, the funds so raised.

1. THE PUBLIC TREASURERS.

During the earlier proprietary period all revenues were pro-
prietary, either for Baltimore's personal use or for the support
of his government, except the public levy (a poll tax in tobacco
for current charges) and a tonnage duty for the rebuilding of
Fort St. Inigo's, collected from April, 1650, to May of 1661. So
it was convenient for His Lordship's Receiver General to act also
as Treasurer of the province although he seems not to have
assumed this title. ²

In October, 1694, however, soon after the establishment of
crown rule, with Baltimore's officers deprived of all share in
government, the Assembly felt obliged to appoint two Public
Treasurers, Captain Thomas Tasker for the Western and Colonel
William Whittington for the Eastern Shore. ³ Under the crown
such Treasurers were servants of the Assembly and so were ap-
pointed by that body: nominated by the Lower House and
approved by the Governor and Council. ⁴ However, the proprie-
tary, on his restoration in 1715, claimed a charter right to appoint
all officers either by his own motion or through his Governor.
After Baltimore's visit to Maryland in 1732-33 the Governor in
fact appointed Treasurers repeatedly, and the delegates, having
twice vainly protested, at length tacitly acknowledged His Lord-

² Capt. Giles Brent, who on March 20, 1638/9, was chosen "Treasurer" by
the Council, seems to have been merely treasurer for any expedition against the
Indians as provided by an Act for Payment of the Public Charge made the same
month (Archives, I, 59; III, 85).

³ Ibid., XIII, 400; XXXVIII, 11.

⁴ Cf. Ibid., XXIV, 17, XXIX, 386. One such appointment occurred in 1727,
after Baltimore's restoration, but before his visit to the province (Ibid., XXXVI,