xvi Letter of Transmission.

needed to run Provincial boundaries with Pennsylvania, Ogle prorogued the
Assembly, after a session of over six weeks. Not only were public acts left
unpassed, but debtors continued to languish in prison, steps were not taken
toward making a road to the new Western settlements, and acts concerning
several parish churches were laid aside.

The Lower House Journal contains a curious speech from Hammond, " dis-
enabling " himself from acting as Speaker. Several members had died, in
addition to Col. John Mackall, Thomas Gassaway's place was filled by Henry
Hall, Mackall's by John Brome, and Solomon Clayton's by Robert Norrest
Wright. Later John Moale died, and his place was filled by Richard Gist.
Those elected took their position among those opposed to the Proprietary
Party, Brome being the most extreme of them. New Committees were ap-
pointed, .composed of from 3 to 9 members, A petty quarrel, in which both
sides showed great regard for their dignity and, in the parlance of today, had
played politics, left a rankling feeling of bitterness and filled many pages of
the Journal.

The Lower House had appointed a Committee in 1739 to secure certain docu-
ments and send them to England together with the Address to the Proprietary.
This Committee applied to the Council in July for copies of these papers and
were told that they could not have them as a Committee; for the Council rec-
ognized no right in the Lower House to appoint a Committee to act during the
intervals between Sessions; but that any person might secure such transcripts
by paying for them. The Delegates stiffly insisted on having the work done
for them as a Committee and the Council and its members as stiffly refused to
do so, consequently the copies were not made, nor the address sent. A consid-
erable correspondence ensued between Gov. Ogle and the Lower House upon
this matter, showing the latter a stickler for form rather than for substance.

A much more elaborate address to the King was adopted than the one pre-
pared in the preceding year, and more detailed complaints were made.

The Lower House divided 14 times during the Session. The first division
occurred upon April 30, on the bill to raise volunteers. In its form, as then
presented, the Proprietary Party opposed it; but could only muster 8 votes
(to the faithful six from Kent, Somerset and Annapolis were added Middle-
ton of Charles and George of Cecil), while the majority in a thin house num-
bered 27.

On May 6, a bill for the support of government according to the views of
the country party passed by a vote of 31 to 6, the votes against it being
two from Kent, two from Annapolis, Henry from Somerset, and Hooper from
Dorchester.