480 Assembly Proceedings, April 5-22, 1720.

U.H.J.

Their Attempts have already given great Uneasiness and
heart burnings to his Majesty's faithfull Subjects here And
in pticular Created to me your Gov^r much trouble and In-
quietude, I can truly Say my Life has been uncomfortable
from that Period I first rejected their Projects, And am now
become a Memorable Instance of the Effects of Popish mallice
I am informed there have been late Affronts and Insults
Offered by Papists and their Adherents to Others in Authority
who fall not into their measures by which it Seems to be their
Resolution to Endeavour not Only by Secret Calumnies but
even by Violence to terrific all good men from opposing them.
I take it therefore to be absolutely necessary to sett their
machinacons in so Clear a Light As I hope will for the future
Silence their Clamours or Expose those Disturbers of the
Publick tranquillity to the Lash of those Laws that were
Long since pvided against them.
I shall not now Entertain you with an Historical relation of
Obtaining the first Grant of this pvince nor yett mention the
Adm^rcon of the Government under the late Lord Prop^rys be-
lieving it will Suffice that I acknowledge the Papists had more
than an Equall Share with the Protestants in holding Judiciall
and Ministeriall Offices here from the date of the Charter
1632 to the year of our Lord 1691, when their Late Majestys

p. 7

King W^m and Queen Mary were pleased to send you a Gov^r
of their Own Appointment. After this Maryland Continued
happily Governed for 24 years, the respective Governours in
that Space receiving their Comissions and Instructions Imedi-
ately from the Crown, of which I had the Last Hon^r. But
so soon as his present Sacred Majesty Condescended to restore
the now Lord Propr^y (on his professing himself a Protestant)
to his Hereditary Government the Papists Instantly laid in
their Claim to be also restored to their former Pretended
Privileges, which when Offered to me for my Approbation by
their Principal Agent was dismist with this Answer. I would
oppose it to the Utmost of my power. Hence our Troubles
took their rise
Upon the first Insurrection of the Rebells in Great Brittain
against his Majesty's Person and Government those of the
same Evil disposition here were so Elated with the hopes of
their Immaginary Success And so Open and Dareing on that
presumption that I was Early Obliged to Check and restrain
their Follys by a proclamation published the 14^th of Feb^ry 1715
to which I referr you for my reason of so doing.
On the 10^th of June following (being the Supposed birthday
of the Pretender) the great guns of the City were fired off
late in the Night these Offenders were soon Discovered by a