The Lower House. 519

Excellency the Governor therewith And further that Coll^l John
Mackall who was Speaker is Deceased.
Benjamin Tasker and George Plater Esq^rs from the upper House
Acquaint the Members of this House that his Excellency the Gov-
ernor requires their Attendance in the Upper House Immediately.
The Members of this house ment to the upper House.
The Governor Ordered them to Return and make Choice of A
Speaker.
The Members Return and unanimously make Choice of M^r Philip
Hammond to be their Speaker and placed him in the Chair.
Coll^l Hanson and M^r Mathews Ordered to Acquaint the Gov-
ernor A Speaker for the Lower house of Assembly is Chosen.
Edmund Jenings Esq^r and Coll^l Hammond from the upper house
Acquaint the Members of this house that the Governor Requires them
to present their Chosen Speaker
M^r Speaker left the Chair.
The Members of this House went to the upper House and pre-
sented M^r Philip Hammond for their Speaker who declared in the
following words.

May 1t please your Excellency.
The Honourable the lower house of Assembly for the Province of
Maryland now stand before you upon an occasion which if their
Wishes had prevailed would not have happened
They see themselves deprived of the Service of an Ancient and
valuable Member One who for some time heretofore Presided in
this Chair with honour to himself and advantage to the Publick this
they Esteem as real Misfortune which Misfortune Sir I fear will be
Rendered more General as they have In Obedience to your Excel-
lencys Directions proceeded to Choose and are now about to present
me their Speaker to Succeed him
I am perswaded that their Candour towards me upon this Occa-
sion has prevailed with them to overlook my weakness and Inca-
pacity for if they had Considered my Infirmities whenever they had
thought of the nature and Importance of the Office they Could not but
have discovered me to have been a person unable to discharge the
Duties of it in any Tollerable Manner. From the Just sence there-
fore that I have of my own Insufficiency as well as from A Regard
of that Duty which I owe to my Country and that the Publick

L. H. J.
Lib. No. 46

Business may not be Impeded by any Irregular or Imperfect Exe-
cution of that Difficult Employment I find myself under A necessity
to Intreat your Excellency's kind Intercession with that Honourable
House to take A Review of themselves and to fix their Choice upon
some other one among them who may be better Able to Discharge

p. 3