Appendix. 521

Maryland Ss.^t On the 27th day of January one thousand Seven
hundred and Sixty eight came Absolom Butler before me the Sub-
scriber one of his Lordships Justices for Baltimore County and
made Oath on the Holy Evangelist of Almighty God that between
the eleventh day of January One thousand seven hundred & sixty
Eight and the Twenty fifth day [of the] same month and year, he
Sat up true Coppies of the above [Advertise]ment at the following
places in Baltimore County, viz.^t

At the Door of the Court House in Joppa

At the Church Door of Saint Pauls Parrish

At the Church Door of Saint Thomas's Parrish

At the Church Door of Saint Johns Parrish

At the Church Door of Saint Georges's Parish

At the Door of the Chappell of Saint Georges's Parrish

At the Door of the Chappell of Saint Johns Parrish

At the House called Saint Thomas's Chappell in Saint

Thomas's Parrish

Sworn before Absalom Butler
Benjamin Rogers

[Printed broadside petitions 1-28]

To His Excellency Horatio Sharpe, Esquire, Governor and Com-
mander in Chief in and over the Province of Maryland, and,
To the Honorable the Upper and Lower Houses of Assembly
of the said Province: The Petition of the Subscribers, Inhabi-
tants of Baltimore County, Humbly Sheweth,
That the present Court-House for Baltimore County, situate in
Joppa, is considerably too small for transacting therein the Business
of the County with Convenience, being the smallest in the Province:
That the same is greatly out of Repair, and the Offices thereof so
confined, as not to admit of sufficient Regularity in ranging the
Papers; and the whole Building is slight, and insecure for the
Purpose of Keeping the Public Records, whereon the Estates of
many of His Majesty's Subjects of this County, and elsewhere,
depend; which are thereby, and from its lonesome Situation, exposed
to the open Attempts of malicious ill-designing or wanton People
being executed without Alarm.

That, the County-Jail, from its original ill Construction, has been
a continual Expence to the County, and although large Quantities
of the Public Tobacco have been frequently levied and expended
thereon, hath always proved defective and insufficient to restrain the
Attempts of Criminals and other Prisoners; great Numbers of whom
have escaped to the Loss and Vexation of the Sheriffs and Suitors,