Letter of Transmitted. xi

1770). On the 25th convened the third session of the Assembly whose members
had been elected in 1767 (pp. 169, 171).

This session lasted until Friday, November 2, when Governor Eden prorogued
the General Assembly to meet again on the following Monday, November 5
(p. 307). This prorogation was due to the arrest and imprisonment of William
Steuart (see Introduction, pp. xxvii-xxviii). The session which met on Novem-
ber 5 was the fourth of the Assembly elected in 1767 (pp. 345, 347). It lasted
until November 21 when Eden prorogued the General Assembly to meet on
December 11 of the same year (p. 432). The Governor was fearful lest the
Delegates again order the arrest of William Steuart (see Introduction, pp. xxviii-xxix).

On December 6, 1770, the Governor further prorogued the Assembly until
December 22 (Maryland Gazette, Dec. 6, 1770). Before that day arrived, Eden
issued a proclamation dissolving the General Assembly and at the same time
promised that a general election would be held for the purpose of electing mem-
bers of a new Assembly, which would meet in Annapolis on February 4, 1771
(Maryland Gazette, Dec. 20, 1770). Before the newly elected Assembly could
meet on that date, the Governor prorogued it to meet on October i, 1771
(Maryland Gazette, Jan. 17, 1771). It convened on the following day (Arch.
Md. I, xxxvi, xlv).

Although no mention is made of it in the Proceedings of either the Council
or the Lower House during 1770, there occurred in February of that year an
important ante-Revolutionary event. This was when the ship Good Intent
arrived at Annapolis on February 5 with articles on board whose importation

had been prohibited by a Resolution of Non Importation adopted June 22, 1769,

at a meeting of county committees held in Annapolis. A notice printed in
the Maryland Gazette and a broadside, both of which will be found reprinted
in Appendix I and II, respectively, outline the events which led to the holding
of the Annapolis meeting.

As soon as the Good Intent arrived, committees from the counties, which
had adopted the Resolution of Non-Importation, assembled in Annapolis. As
articles which could be imported were so intermingled with those which could
not be brought in, it was decided that none of the freight could be landed. The
Good Intent with all of her cargo was compelled to return to England. No
secrecy was observed. The names of the committeemen were known and notices
of the meetings and their decisions were published in the Maryland Gazette. It
was indeed a bold act. For an account of this event see The Case of the Good
Intent, Md. Hist. Mag. Vol. III, 141-157, 240-256, 342-363, 386-387; ibid. Vol.
XVI, 60-62; Correspondence of Governor Eden, Md. Hist. Mag. Vol. II, 228-
244; Maryland Gazette, Jan. 25, Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22, Apr. 19, 26, 1770.