Introduction. xxxvii

tional land tax (pp. 386-390). Another new act increased the pay of grand
and petit jurors in the Provincial courts (pp. 394-396). Why a bill to "revive"
an act "directing the manner of Punishing Fornication and Adultery before a
single Justice" should have passed the Lower House, and been rejected in the
Upper House is not disclosed (pp. 380, 349).

SESSION OF APRIL-MAY 1761.

The Assembly met at its sixth, and what was to be its last session, on
April 13, 1761, after called meetings in March and April had several times
been postponed by prorogation by the Governor (Arch. Md. XXXI, 437, 467).
Sharpe in his speech to both houses opened with expressions of condolence
upon the death of George II, and congratulations that he was succeeded by
such an illustrious sovereign as his grandson, George III. He urged the As-
sembly to comply with the request of the new King that men be promptly
raised to serve with his regular forces (pp. 399-400). As at recent sessions
the Governor had transmitted to the Assembly letters from William Pitt, the
King's principal minister, and from General Amherst. Pitt's letter dated at
Whitehall December 17, 1760, a circular letter to the governors of Pennsyl-
vania, Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas, asked the assemblies of these
provinces to raise as many men as possible, to cooperate with the regular troops
under Amherst, and repeated the promises contained in former letters reaffirm-
ing the status of commissions to Provincial officers appointed by the governors
of the several provinces. He wrote that while arms, tents, and victuals would
be furnished by the Commander-in-Chief, the forces raised were to be levied,
clothed, and paid at the expense of the several provinces (pp. 400-402).
Amherst in his letter dated at New York March 15, 1761, repeated the as-
surances contained in Pitt's letter, and requested the immediate compliance
with these requisitions so as to secure more advantageous concessions from the
enemy in the terms of peace (pp. 402-404).

In the Upper House a new member appeared at this session. This was John
Ridout, the Governor's secretary, who had been appointed to fill one of the
two vacancies in the Council caused by the death from smallpox on September
21, 1760, of William Goldsborough, and of Benjamin Tasker Jr. who had died
"of a slow fever" on October 17, 1760. The other vacancy was not filled until
later. In the Lower House there were also a number of changes in personnel
due to death. Although warrants for new elections to fill certain vacancies
had been issued by the Lower House during its last session, none of these elec-
tions had taken place until after its adjournment on October 15, 1760. The
five new members who now appeared in the house were John Hammond,
elected from Anne Arundel County to succeed his father, Philip Hammond, one
of the most truculent leaders of the popular party; Thomas Ringgold from
Kent, the wealthy Chester Town merchant, who succeeded Alexander William-
son, a former Speaker; John Veazey from Cecil, who succeeded Captain Henry
Ward, another victim of smallpox; Nathan Magruder from Frederick, who
succeeded Edward Dorsey, the well known Annapolis attorney who had for
several years represented Frederick County in the Assembly; and William