554 Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1752.

Lib. C. B.

not, by this, presume to direct in what manner you shall prove
your Jurisdiction but let you know, that ultimately I must
judge of the Proofs you are pleased to offer, Agreeable to
Law according to the best of my Understanding
Further, I request that what ever Papers have been or shall
hereafter be transmitted to me, concerning this affair, may be
legally certified and attested. Not that I have the least Diffi-
dence of the Honour of your Government, but to avoid the
just Censure of Allowing less than Authentick Testimonials
in a matter of so great importance.
The part of your Letter which endeavours to account for a
peremtory demand of the Prisoner without proofs, is very kind,
in presuming me unapprized of Facts done on the borders
above one hundred Miles from the City of Philadelphia, and
so many Years before I came to the Government, and in
declaring you could not harbour the least thought of my
intention to countenance such a bold Violation of his Majestys
Order. In return I declare I never heard of Kitzmiller or his
Dispute with M^r Digges untill this Sad Disaster, and now all
the fruits I am like to reap from them are my concern for an
unfortunate Father and a great deal of anxiety and trouble,
Surely all Persons must be unconcerned about the Places of
Tryal except for the Sake of Justice, which shall be inviolably
observed by me, to the utmost of my Skill and power 1 am
Sir
Your most Obedient humble Servant
Philadelphia 22^d May 1752 James Hamilton

The Honourable Benjamin Tasker Esq^r

Which being read and considered of, and the following
Answer prepared thereto It is the Advice of this Board that
the same be sent by his Honour the President to the Governor
of Pensilvania

Sir
My Delay in answering your Letter of the 22^d of May but
which was not received before the 20^th of June proceeded from

p. 493

a Willingness to give you as little Trouble as may be by
transmitting to you at once all the proofs which might be
necessary to Support Our Claim of Jurisdiction in the place
where M^r Digges son was murthered. But the Distance
which is near 150 Miles from hence has put it out of my
Power to prevent many Difficulties and Disappointments
which have happened in pursuing my Directions, so that I am
under a necessity of making this Answer rather than the
Determination of an affair of this Consequence should be