The Lower House. 577

We beg leave in the most humble manner to assure your Majesty
that none of your Subjects are more Peaceably disposed or more
firmly attached to your Royal Person and Government than the
Inhabitants of the Province of Maryland and that none of Your
Majestys Colonies in America would become more useful to Our
Mother Country were We not Dispirited and Impoverished by being
deprived of the Rights and Priviledges of British Subjects and that
We have at all times been and still are ready and willing in a legal
manner to grant and raise such Supplies as are necessary for the
Honourable Support of the Government and Defence and Preserva-
tion of the Province so far forth as our Circumstances will admit of.
May it therefore please your Majesty to take the Complaint of
Your Dutiful Subjects into Your Royal Consideration and upon
due Proof made of the Facts contained to Order and Direct for Our
Relief therein as to your Majesty in your Royal Wisdom and Good-
ness shall seem most just & Reasonable
And Your Faithful Subjects and Petitioners as in Duty Bound
shall ever pray &c^a
May 9^th 1740
On behalf of the House of Delegates of the Province of Maryl^d
Signed p Order
Philip Hammond Speaker

The House Adjourns to the Morrow Morning at nine of the Clock

L. H. J.

Lib. No. 46

Thursday Morning June 5, 1740

The House met according to Adjournment &c^a
M^r Speaker communicated to the House the following Answer
from the Governor to the Address of this House presented yesterday
(See page 515.)

June 5

The House Resolved, that the Upper House keeping before them
the Bills sent from this House, longer than the usual and reasonable
time upon any Pretence whatsoever is a dangerous Innovation intro-
ductive of many Inconveniences, and of altering the usual method of
Proceeding in Assemblies; and that threatning this House with the
fall of all those Laws usually Revived and Re-enacted in which the
Publick Utility and Benefit of the Inhabitants are so essentially con-
cerned till this House comply with their unreasonable demands is
using compulsory means with this House to give up the Rights and
Priviledges of the People and tends to the making themselves
Absolute, and the Delegates of the People Useless
The House Adjourns to two of the Clock in the Afternoon

37

p. 134