Old Virginia and her neighbours

MARYLAND'S VICISSITUDES. 135themselves to be a lawful assembly without dependenceupon any other power now existingwithin the province, and if anybody had any objectionsto this view of the case they should liketo hear them. The upper house answered byasking the lower house if they meant that theywere a complete assembly without the upperhouse, and also that they were independent ofthe lord proprietor. These questions led to a conference,in which, among other things, Fendalldeclared it to be his opinion that laws passed by1the assembly and publishedininthe lord• j_ > •Temporaryproprietor s name should at once be m overthrowfull force. Two of the council, Gerrard more's authority.and Utie, agreed with this view, while thesecretary, Philip Calvert, and all the rest, dissented.In these proceedings the governor wasplainly in league with the lower house, and thisvote demonstrated the necessity of getting ridof the upper house. Accordingly the burgessessent word to the governor and council, that theywould not acknowledge them as an upper house,but they might come and take seats in the lowerhouse if they liked. Secretary Calvert observedthat in that case the governor would become presidentof the joint assembly, and the speaker of theburgesses must give place to him. A compromisewas presently reached, according to which thegovernor should preside, witha casting vote, butthe right of adjourning or dissolving the assemblyshould be exercised by the speaker. HereuponCalvert protested, and demanded that his protestbe put on record, but Fendall refused. Then Cal-