530 Assembly Proceedings, July 12-25, 1726.

L. H. J.

p. 2

Who being a Sufficient number to make an House
Ordered that Col^o Mackall and Col^o Greenfield go to the
Upper House and acquaint his Hon^r the Govern^r thereof.
They return and Say they delivered their Message
John Hall Esq^r from the Upper House acquaints M^r
Speaker that his Hon^r the Gov^r requires him and the whole
House to attend him imediately in the upper House &
withdrew
Thereupon M^r Speaker with the rest of the Members go
to the Upper House where his Hon^r the Governeur was
pleasd to make the following "Speech viz.

Gentlemen of the Upper & Lower Houses of Assembly
Severall Petitions having been delivered to me from the In-
habitants of diverse parts of this Province, complaining of the
low State Tobacco is reduced to; and humbly desiring that
the Assembly might be convened in order to fall on- some
Method to relieve ourselves in these Melancholly Circum-
stances; I (having nothing more at heart than the good of the
Province) have thought fit, w^th the Advice of his L^pps Councill
to Convene you, that you may have an Opportunity to make
the Staple a reall Benefit to us; In Order to which it will be
proper to Consider, to what Causes the present low Price of
Tobacco is owing; Which I take to be chiefly these, the sending
home Trash Tobacco, and the uncertainty of shipping our
Crops; to prevent the first, it would undoubtedly be the interest
of the Country, to destroy the Trash here, for no body but a
madman would Ship bad Tobacco to bring himself in Debt ;
this would in a great Measure lessen the Quantity especially
if tending of seconds was prohibited, and if the good Tobacco
was shipt at a Time certain, the Merchants might regulate
the Market at home very much to our Advantage. This
Gentlemen is what occurrs to me and I leave it to your Serious
Consideration
Cha Calvert

Afterwards M^r Speaker w^th the rest of the members returns
to the Lower House where M^r Speaker resumes the Chair and
reports what his Hon^r the Gov^r had before sayd.
The Rules of the House are read, agreed to & Set up.
Ordered that M^r Speaker issue his Warr^t to the Secretary
for the Electing a new member to serve for Prince George's
County in the room of James Stoddert Esq^r deced.
Resolved that this House will sit to do Business from
Eight of the Clock in the foreonon till Eleven and from one