The Upper House. 299

I shall send Down to Your House the Opinion of Councill
Learned in the Laws of Great Brittaine on the Partys Suspen-
tion from his practice by that Act. The Cases as they are
Stated to the Lawyers and their Sentiments on them are
worthy your Observation. But I must remarke to you should
this Party or Others be suffered to Insult the Courts as he has
so Often done with Impunity it would Destroy the very
Essence of all Authority and Power amongst you which are
Principally Constituted to pull down & Punish the Haughty
and the Bad, and to Support and Cherish the Humble and the
Good. I do therefore recommend it to you to make such
pvision as may Support the magistrates in the Admin^rcon of
Justice which may not be Liable to the former Exceptions and
this you will find Agreeable to their L^pps Opinion and Inclina-
tions.

Gentlemen of the Upper and Lower Houses
I have the Hon^r to Receive late L^rs from their L^pp Signifying
their Concern and Resentments for the Indiscreet and Mali-

U. H. J.

cious pceedings of some of the Roman Catholicks ag^t me
which gives me Great Satisfaction so that Depending on their
L^pps favour and Protection It is unwillingly I again name that
Communitie in a Publick manner were it not to Disabuse those
psons whom they have unjustly Prepossessed ag^t me by Urg-
ing that the Roman Catholicks are under a Persecution in
Maryland which in this Place is so well known to be a Notor-
ious untruth that It scarcely Deserves a Replie.
But their Clamours on this Score haveing reached Great
Brittaine with very Aggravating Circumstances, I am Laid
under a necessity of Justifying my Character from this Bar-
barous Imputation in this Open Way to the World by Declar-
ing I never had Other Views or Intentions ag^t the Roman
Catholicks but to Prevent their Imploying of offices or having
any Influence Either Publickly or Privately on the Adm^rcon
of the Governm^t And this I look upon as my Indispensible
Duty as a Gov^r and know no Cause to Alter my Sentim^ts
when in a Private Capacity And am always ready when
required to Give an Account of my Conduct and Stewardship
to my Superiors
As for the unreasonable Cry of Persecution I do now in
the face of the Country Challenge & defie the Roman Cath-
olicks or their Adherents to shew one Instance wherein they

p. 6

or any of them have been persecuted for Conscience Sake Or
Even psecuted by Law on that Account And this I Require
may be made as Publickly as Possible to the End that all that
are Concerned may have due notice of it both on my Own

p. 7