xvi Introduction.

their Members to vote against it" (Arch. Md. XIV; 52.53). The counties
in which the delegates divided on crucial political questions were Baltimore, Kent,
Queen Anne's and Calvert counties.

The Committee on Elections and Privileges reported to the Lower House
on May 18, the names of the delegates which the writs of election showed had
been chosen (pp. 78-79). One of these Francis Mauldin, had died since his
election in November 1761, and the House ordered the Speaker to have the
Deputy-Secretary of the Province issue a writ to the Sheriff of Cecil for a
special election to fill his place (p. 74). The house journal does not show that
anyone served in Mauldin's place at this session, but the Maryland Gazette
for April 22, 1762, discloses that at a special election held "last week" Nathan
Baker was elected from Cecil County. Baker was not sworn in, however, as
a delegate until October 4, 1763, the opening day of the next session (p. 292).
The Commirtee on Elections and Privileges in a report to the house begged
leave to observe that there were trivial discrepancies in the wording of the
writs of election for Charles and Frederick counties, but that the "variancies
we take to be Omissions of the Clerk in making out the said Writs", so the
status of the delegates from these counties was duly established (p. 79). On
March 26, a petition from sundry freeholders and other voters of Calvert
County was "preferred" to the house "of an undue election" by Young Parran,
who was obviously a contestant for a seat. The Sheriff of Calvert County
was ordered to stand at the bar of the house on March 31, to answer the com-
plaints contained in the petition, and the complainants were directed to deliver
in writing to those charged with undue practices, the particular facts they
would bring forward at the hearing. The record does not disclose the nature
of the charges, nor if the election of one or all of the four delegates from
Calvert, viz: Graham, Gantt, and the two Mackalls, was questioned; but when
the matter came before the house, and received a further hearing, it was
promptly dismissed and costs assessed against the complainants (pp. 97,
101, 102).

The 1762 Assembly proceeded to organize in the usual manner. Representa-
tives of the Lower House announced to the Governor on March 17 that there
was a sufficient number of delegates present to compose a new house. The
usual ritual observed at the opening of a new Assembly was followed. Two
members of the Upper House, Benedict Calvert and John Ridout, accompanied
by John Ross, the Clerk of the Council and of the Upper House, appeared in
the Lower House where the delegates qualified by taking the several oaths
to the Government, subscribing to the oath of abjuration and repeating and
signing the test. The delegates then went in a body to the Upper House,
where the Governor requested them to return to their own house and choose
a Speaker. They thereupon returned and unanimously elected Colonel Hpnry
Hooper of Dorchester County, who had previously served in this capacity,
and placed him in the chair. Two members notified the Governor of the choice,
who then required the delegates to return to the Upper House and present their
Speaker (p. 69). The Governor declared he was well pleased with their choice,