xvi Letter of Transmission.

acts were passed for building a prison therein, for division of a parish, for
establishment of new towns, and for providing a bounty for killing bears.

The movement for a new county in the western part of Prince George's
again failed, partly because of the difficulty in securing a suitable division line.
Frederick County was not formed until 1748, but for convenience of refer-
ence, the editor has included its name in the Index. There was a suggestion
that a new county be formed out of parts of Dorchester and Somerset, a sug-
gestion that did not develop into an enactment, until the formation of Wicomico
County in 1867.

Several acts were passed in reference to the parishes of the established church
outside of Worcester County. A new parish was established in Cecil County,
St. Mary's and Charles Counties were redivided, a chapel of Ease was provided
in Prince George's County, and St. James Parish in Anne Arundel County
was permitted to lease land. Private acts naturalized a man, gave good titles
to certain tracts of land, and released poor debtors. Jonas Green was encour-
aged to continue in the Province, publishing its laws. A hospital and work-
house were asked at Leonardtown, but were not granted. Bladensburgh,
Charlestown and Upper Marlborough received amendatory acts of the laws
establishing them. Several temporary laws were revived. Stealing of horses
and boats should be dealt with rigorously and cutting up tobacco plants must
be punished. A composition for the quit rents for seven years was offered the
Proprietary. Jennings's letters, printed in the Appendix, throw much light
upon the bitterness between Gov. Bladen and the Lower House which pre-
vailed throughout the Session; but, without these letters, the Journals of the
two Houses make plain the acerbity which had succeeded to the pleasant rela-
tions formerly existing between the Governor and the Delegates. The two
houses could not even agree upon a common address to King George II con-
gratulating him upon the birth of his grandson and the marriage of the Princess
Louisa. In his opening speech, the Governor urged the passage of a law
imposing a tax to be expended for arms and ammunition; but the Upper
House refused to accept the bill which the Lower House presented, because it
provided that the proceeds of the proposed duty should be paid to Edward
Sprigg, Speaker of the House, and not to the Treasurers of the Province. Thus
Maryland failed (as she was about to fail so often in the next few years) to do
her duty in the French War. The Lower House also refused to prepare a
Militia Bill, as the Governor requested.

The Indian troubles had led to negotiations in the preceding year and three
treaties of some interest are found in the appendix. There had also been
negotiations with the Iroquois and Gov. Bladen was quite naturally incensed at
finding that the Delegates (at the Session of 1742) had somewhat infringed