xxxviii Introduction.

Smallwood from Charles, later to become a distinguished Revolutionary officer
and a Maryland governor, who succeeded Captain Arthur Lee lately deceased
(pp. 405, 442). The Speaker was ordered to issue warrants for an election
to fill the place recently made vacant by the death in the previous December
of Henry Waggaman of Somerset (p. 442).

In letters to Lord Baltimore written at this time Sharpe referred to the
unhealthfulness of this season and to his own indisposition, and to the toll
which death had taken in the Province. Not only were the usual oaths ad-
ministered to the newly elected members, but all the old members and officers
of the house were required to take the oath of allegiance to the new king,
George III (p. 399). John Allen Thomas was chosen clerk of the Lower House,
and after his election had been approved by the Governor, he was sworn in
(p. 438). He succeeded Michael Macnemara, who for fifteen years had
served as clerk of this house and was now on a visit to England, described
by Sharpe in a letter to Secretary Cecilius Calvert, dated December 22, 1760,
as "a most turbulent Spirit" and under the influence of the Dulany family,
and with the warning to Calvert that he would seek the ear of Pitt or of Fox
to influence them in favor of the activities of the Lower House and against
the Proprietary government (Arch. Md. XXXI, pp. 483, 547-548). Captain
Robert Sanders as sergeant-at-arms, and Andrew Buchanan as door keeper
also took the oaths to the new King (p. 439). The Rev. Samuel Keene who
had just arrived in the Province and was now officiating as curate at St.
Anne's in Annapolis, was selected by the Lower House to read prayers twice
daily, the Rev. Alexander Williamson, who had officiated at recent sessions,
having been transferred from St. Anne's to Prince George's Parish, Frederick
County (p. 439). The former rules of order were adopted (pp. 439-440).
Richard Tilghman III and William Wilkins qualified as clerks of certain com-
mittees by taking the prescribed oaths (p. 450). The latter was apparently
the son of the William Wilkins of Annapolis who had served in a similar
capacity at former sessions but who had died a few weeks previously. Richard
Tilghman III was a member of the noted family of that name of the "Hermi-
tage", Queen Anne's County.

This session, or as the Upper House styled it, "convention", of the Assembly
was to be even more fruitless than its predecessor, for as a result of the im-
passe between the two houses, no legislation whatever was enacted. The sub-
jects which caused the greatest contention between the two houses were: the
Supply or Assessment bill; the form of the address of condolence to George III
on the death of his grandfather and predecessor George II; the Henry Darnall
defalcation of Provincial funds; the support of a provincial agent in
Great Britain; the adoption of the Journal of Accounts: the publication of
Bacon's Collection of Laws; and the establishment of a college at Annapolis.
As all these controversial questions are discussed in considerable detail else-
where in this introduction, their fate at this session need only be briefly
touched upon here.

The Supply, or Assessment, bill went through the same routine in the Lower
House at this session as it had at preceding sessions. The usual resolves were