province and the several nations of Indians of what places soever." This was accordingly done at the session of the legislature begun at Annapolis on the 26th of April, 1700; and another act was passed at the same session, "for the security of the frontier plantations against the incursions and violence of Indians."

26. The first legislature of 1701 met on the 8th and adjourned on the 17th of May. It passed an act for speedily obtaining execution against persons flying out of the country where judgment was given against them, and another for the naturalization of foreigners. On the 16th of March, 1701, the last month in the Julian year, another session was begun, and ended on the 25th of the same month, being New Year's day, 1702.

27. In the preamble to an act passed at this session, it was declared that in well-grounded commonwealths matters concerning religion ought to be taken into consideration. By this act, faithful and able ministers were invited to come into Maryland, and the people were taxed to the amount of forty pounds of tobacco per year on each freeman for their support. It was enacted that no minister, priest, or magistrate should join together in marriage any persons contrary to the "Table of Marriages" known to the Church of England. A violation of this law by any such minister, priest, or magistrate was made punishable by a fine of five thousand pounds of tobacco.

28. In a parish where a minister or priest resided, it was made unlawful for any justice of the peace or other layman to perform the marriage ceremony; and a violation of the law was made punishable by a fine of five thousand pounds of tobacco for the use of the king of England.

29. On the 8th of March, 1702, William III., king of England, died at Kensington Palace, in the fifty-second year of his age and the fourteenth of his reign. Anne Stuart, second daughter of King James II., took the crown

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of England by the name of Queen Anne, and the government of Maryland passed under her rule.

30. In this year the legislature of the province granted "toleration and ease to all Protestant dissenters from the Church of England, and liberty to the people called Quakers to make solemn affirmation instead of an oath in delivering testimony in courts of justice.

31. The legislature of 1703 opened on the 26th and closed on the 29th of October. Thomas Tench occupied the governor's chair as president. At this session no business worthy of mention here was done beyond an act to revive certain laws and make assessments for the year.

32. At the session which met on the 26th of April, and ended on the 3d of May, 1704, John Seymour appeared and took his seat as governor of Maryland.

33. In this year daily experience showed, and the people of the province were made sensible of the fact, that for the want of water mills tillage of the ground was neglected. It was seen that certain persons who owned land upon which there were good mill sites either refused to sell it to a person who would build a mill, or build one himself; or that the site might be in the hands of a person under age, or owned by some one unable to bear the charges for building a mill.

34. A law was, therefore, passed to condemn lands for building mills, and pay for them out of the provincial treasury, in case the owners of good mill sites refused to build a mill thereon in one year from the date of the law.

35. For the prevention of abuses frequently committed by persons keeping water mills, it was enacted that no master, owner, miller, or other person belonging to or owning a mill in the province, should ask or receive for grinding a bushel of corn more than one-sixth part of the same, nor more than one-eighth part of a bushel of wheat, upon penalty or forfeiture of one thousand pounds of tobacco.

36. It was further enacted that all roads leading to Annapolis should be marked on trees with the letters AA, done with marking irons and colored; the roads that led to the port of Williamstadt on the eastern shore, by a smooth place cut on the face of trees on which was marked the letter W. Roads that led to court-houses were marked by two notches on trees on both sides of the road, and

roads leading to churches were marked by a slip cut down the face of a tree, near the ground,

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37. As often as necessary, dead trees were required to be cut down on each side of public roads, that limbs hanging overhead might not fall and injure travelers. At the session of 1704 an enlightened policy prevailed, and a great number of acts, similar to those already mentioned, were passed for the benefit of the people at large, and not for the politicians; and the people themselves were builders, planting broad and firm foundations, not for their days alone, but for future generations.

38. In 1704 the state-house at Annapolis was consumed by fire, together with most of the records of Anne Arundel County. In the same year an act was passed to rebuild it of brick, and it was finished in 1706. While building, the legislature held its sessions in the house of Colonel Edward Dorsey.

CHAPTER XII.

1704-1716.

Conspiracy against the Government of Maryland.-Counties erected.—Joppa, in Baltimore County.-The Nanticoke Indians.-Tobacco a Currency.— Death of Charles Lord Baltimore.-Governor Hart.

1. THE legislature of 1705 met at Annapolis on the 15th, and ended on the 25th of May. At this session it was made known that a conspiracy had been formed to seize the provincial magazine of arms and ammunition, as well as the person of Governor Seymour, overthrow the government of Queen Anne in Maryland, and bring the "heathen Indians," with the conspirators, to cut off the inhabitants of the province. An act of outlawry was passed against the chief conspirator, which was to be enforced unless he surrendered himself within twenty days. He failed to do so, and the act remained in full force against him. Maryland narrowly escaped another rebellion.

2. In 1706 the boundaries of Talbot County were described and settled. From and after the 1st of May, 1707, the bounds were to include Sharp's Island, Choptank Island, and all the land on the north side of Great Choptank River, and extend itself up the river to Tuckahoe Bridge. From thence with a straight line to Swetnam's mill, and from thence, down the south side of Wye River, to the mouth thereof; from thence down the bay to the first beginning, including Poplar and Bruff's Islands.

3. In 1706 the county of Queen Anne's was described and named after Anne, Queen of England. During the reign