356 Assembly Proceedings, June 17-July 8, 1746.

L.H.J.
Liber No. 46

Post Meridiem

The House met according to Adjournment...
On motion of a Member, Leave is given to bring in a Bill to im-
power the Justices of Talbot and St. Mary's County Courts to allow,

at the laying of their next County levy, unto Jonas Green of the

City of Annapolis, Printer, the sum therein mentioned
The House adjourns til To-morrow Morning 9 of the Clock

Julys

Thursday morning July 3, 1746

The House met according to Adjournment, and the Proceedings
of Yesterday were read, M^r Worthington from the Committee of
Accounts delivers M^r Speaker the Journal of Accounts, which was
read and Assented to and sent to the Upper House by M^r Worthing-
ton and five others. M^r Speaker communicates to the House the fol-
lowing Message from the Governor; Viz. Gentlemen of the Lower
House of Assembly,

In Answer to y^r Remonstrance I think proper to Acquaint you,
that the Information you have received of my having called M^r
Smith a sorry Fellow, is absolutely false and an Imposition on your
House: Perhaps it is true that I might say, he was an ungrateful
Fellow, for that He, or his family having had Obligations to the
Proprietor, nevertheless he made it his Business to spread false Re-
ports about the Country to the Dishonour of the Government, But
pray Gentlemen, what is this, or any Thing else that is said in Con-
versation with any man, to the Privilege of your House ? Assert your
Rights in God's name; I never shall Attempt or desire to infringe
them, but do not imagine, I am to take every Thing to be Privilege
that you are pleased to call so. I think I Know, as well as you do,
what Privilege is; and let me tell you, you are now carrying yours
further in Your Remonstrance, than ever was attempted by A British
Parliament, and much beyond, I dare say, what your Constituents
would wish to put this point in as clear a Light as I can, not only to
y^r own understandings, but also to that of your Constituents, I shall
first take notice of the Clause in the Statute of I^st of William and
Mary, declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject, and which,
I suppose, you have taken as a Foundation for y^r extraordinary
Declaration. That Clause is thus expressed, " That the Freedom of
Speech and Debates of Proceedings in Parliament ought not to be
impeached or questioned in Any Court or Place out of Parliament."
The meaning of this is very obvious, not only from the legal Con-
struction of the words, Questioned and Impeached, but from the
occasion or Necessity of Declaring and Asserting the Freedom of
Speech by that Statute, as to the legal Construction, which is the
only proper Rule for the Exposition of an Act of Parliament, the
word Questioning in that Sense is, the Calling upon any man either