The Lower House. 343

of this Province and to insure the same and the Amount to charge to
Account of the Province of Maryland in Account of the sum afore-
said.

This Act to continue until the Twenty-ninth Day of September
which shall be in the year of our Lord one Thousand seven Hundred
and Fourty eight and no longer.

M^r Speaker communicates to the House the following Message
from the Governor Viz.
Gentlemen of the Lower House of Assembly
I am really concerned you should think your selves under any
necessity of repeating the Request of former Assemblies to have the
amount of the 14^d per Tun and 12^d per Hogshead from the Naval
officers especially as I am obliged to give you almost the same Answer
I did before to them, and which I did not doubt would then have
been satisfactory

The Naval officers have already informed the late Lower House

L.H.J.
Liber No. 46

of Assembly that they have received Ever since the year 1733, and
still continue to receive, the 12^d per Hogshead by Virtue of the Act
made in the Year 1704 Entituled An Act for Settlement of An
Annual Revenue upon her Majesty's Governor within this Province
for the Time being, and if she have any particular Instructions be-
sides that Act to Authorize that receipt, I shall order Copies of them
to be authenticated and delivered to the Gentlemen mentioned in your
Address. You are sensible the Naval Officers constantly lay before
the Lower House their annual Acc^ts upon Oath by which the number
of Hogsheads exported appear and consequently how many shillings
are received every year by Virtue of that Act so that the Quantum for
the whole or any Number of Years since 1733 is very readily seen
and known from those Accounts examined by and Lodged with your
House And if you desire those Accounts delivered from time to time
to the Lower House or Copies of them to be authenticated under
the Great Seal I will give Directions Accordingly.
As to the 14^d per Ton, whatever Dispute you may now think fit
to make on that Head, yet you cannot be unapprized that his Lord-
ship and his Ancestors have received this Payment by Virtue of their
Proprietaryship distinct from the Government even when the Ad-
ministration was not in their Hands and that this Right has been
solemnly determined by his late Majesty King William in Council
to be due to the Proprietary without any Reference to the Govern-
ment This Duty therefore must be considered as his Lordships pri-
vate Property and I really do not think myself at Liberty to make
any Person acquainted with this or any other Branch of his Lord-
ships private Estate especially when the Information is sifted upon
as this is to be due in point of Right.

p. 605