at that early period, is now a desideratum: and the propriety of soliciting an examination of the plantation records, for the purpose of ascertaining if it were ever completed, is humbly submitted to the consideration of its Assembly.

The population of the colony was not much increased during the royal government. In 1689, it contained about twenty-five Its population. thousand inhabitants; and in 1710, only thirty thousand. (59) Immigration, the principal cause of the rapid increase in the population of the colony during the preceding era, had in a great degree ceased, "But few or no families have come into the province to reside, of late years, (says the report of the Assembly, in 1697.) Some single persons, mostly women, are of late come from England or Ireland, in the quality of servants, in all about sixty souls. Indeed, the low price. which the planter hath of late been constrained to accept from the merchant, hath obliged many here, finding their industry. would not supply their necessities, to try their fortunes elsewhere, to the apparent and considerable diminution of the number of our inhabitants, compared with preceding years and lists." (60) The population had never been much increased by emigrants from other colonies; and the principal causes which had hitherto induced emigration from England, had now ceased to operate. Under the proprietary government, it was a city of refuge to all who sought shelter from civil or religious oppression. The Catholic here found peace and security; and the non-conforming Protestant came hither, to enjoy, under a Catholic ruler, the toleration denied to him by his Protestant brethren. The enemy of arbitrary prerogative found it here in subjection to the laws; and the friend of civil liberty discovered, in the organization and powers of the provincial Assembly, the essential features of a government based upon the people's will. In these respects, it then presented a striking contrast, not only to the condition of the mother country, but also to that of most of the sister colonies; but the contrast had now ceased. Maryland was now under a royal government; and its people subject to the restrictions of an established church. To the Catholic, it offered nothing but

(59) British Empire in America, vol. 1, p. 341.

(60) Report of 8th June, 1697, by the General Assembly to the Commissioners of Trade, in Upper House Proceedings, Liber F F, 942 and 944.

disqualification and penalties; and to the non-conforming Protestant, it now gave no privileges, which he could not enjoy in England, under the system of Protestant toleration established by the revolution. At the same time, many of the temporal inducements to settlers were removed. Lands were no longer given as a bounty to emigrants; and the controversies about his land rights, in which the proprietary was involved for several years after the revolution, rendered it difficult to obtain grants from him upon acceptable terms. During the first years of the royal government, the husbandry of the province appears to have been in a distressed condition, but little calculated to invite emigrants. "The trade of this province, (says the report of the Assembly in 1697,) ebbs and flows according to the rise or fall of tobacco in the market of England; but yet it is manifest and apparent that, universally, less crops are made of late than formerly; that is to say, of tobacco: for that the most and best land for that purpose, is cleared and now worn out, which indeed thereby becomes better for tillage; and the late grievous losses sustained by the death of cattle, hath sufficiently cautioned the inhabitants, by tillage to make better provision against the late unusual hard winter, and to plant less tobacco; and especially the country is in want of servants and negroes." (61) Hence the settlements were not much extended during this era; and the only new counties erected, were Prince George's, in 1695, and Queen Anne's, in 1706.

pursuits gene.

The pursuits of the colony underwent no change. Tobacco was still its staple, and almost the only article produced for exIts trade and portation. Planting tobacco was the general pursuit; and besides the planters, there were some carpenters, coopers, and a few other artisans; the whole number of whom is estimated, by the report of 1697, as only constituting about the one sixtieth of the whole population. Manu

rally.

(61) The years 1694 and 1695 are described in the provincial records as years of unusual scarcity and suffering in the colony, from the effects of which, upon its husbandry, it did not recover for several years afterwards. A regular census was taken of the cattle and hogs, which had perished during these two seasons, from which it appeared that the number of cattle lost during the time, was 25,429, and of hogs 62,373. Council Proceedings, Liber H. F, 2, p. 2d, 303.

factories were still unknown in the province; and the colonists depended entirely upon England for the most necessary articles of consumption. In a few families, coarse clothing was manufactured, out of the wool of the province, for the use of their servants; and in Somerset and Dorchester, some attempts were made by a few persons, at a period when there was an extreme difficulty in procuring English goods, to manufacture linen and woollen cloths; "which they were reduced to (says the report of 1697,) by absolute necessity, and without which many persons had perished; and this house believes, that when the like necessity falls on them or any other of this province, the like preservation will be endeavored." (62) How cautiously they vindicated their feeble attempts at manufacturing the very necessaries of life, to escape the censure of the all-grasping spirit of England, ever jealous of every thing that tended, in the least degree, to weaken the entire dependence of her colonies, or to diminish the gains of her monopolies. There are no data from which we can collect an accurate estimate of the value of the exports of the colony. Tobacco was the only export of much value. To use the forcible expression of another, "it was their meat, drink, clothing and money." (63) The trade in this article was carried on almost exclusively with England. The trade elsewhere was very inconsiderable; and that consisted in the trade to the West Indies, in beef, pork, pipe staves, timber, and small quantities of tobacco; and in the trade with the New Englanders, for rum, molasses, fish, and wooden wares; for the traffic in which latter article the New Englanders were conspicuous even at that early period. The shipping of the colony was very inconsiderable. The trade with England was carried on entirely in English ships; and the trade with the West Indies principally in New England vessels. The military defences of the province consisted entirely in its militia; and of

(62) There is little or no woolen manufacture, (says the author of the British Empire in America, written about the year 1709,) followed by any of the inhabitants, except what is done in Somerset county "-Vol. 1st, 343. It would seem from this, that the attempt in Somerset, had partially succeeded in establishing the manufacture.

(63) 1st British Empire, 343.

naval power it was utterly destitute, there not being a single vessel in the employ of the government. (64)

From this general view of the statistical condition, of the colony, it is evident that its power and resources were but little increased during this era. It was still a feeble and dependent settlement, trammelled in its trade, limited in its resources, and humble in its aims. The events of this era were unfavorable, both to the increase of its population, and its extension over the surface of the province. Hence its inhabitants still clustered along the bay and the mouths of its tributaries; and a large and fertile portion of its territory was yet unexplored. Yet it possessed all the elements of power and wealth. It enjoyed a free government. It contained an industrious, energetic, and selfrelying population. It presented an extensive and unexhausted territory, to tempt the enterprise, and diversify the pursuits of its people. Untoward circumstances might retard its progress; but ultimate prosperity was assured to a colony thus situated. To the succeeding era it belonged, to call these latent energies into action; and to develope strength and resources, not only equal to her own protection, but even bidding proud defiance to the oppressions of the parent.

(64) These details, as to the trade and pursuits of the colony, are collected from the report of the governor and council to the commissioners of trade, in 1697, (which see in Council Proceedings, Liber F F, 942 to 947 :) and “the British Empire in America.”

CHAPTER IV.

HISTORY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF MARYLAND, FROM THE RESTORATION TO THE TREATY OF PARIS.

of

the proprietary

attributable to

tion.

FROM an examination of the causes and character of the Protestant revolution in Maryland, as developed in the preceding chapter, it is manifest, that as far as the proprietary was personally Suspension connected with the transactions of that period, his government not government had fallen without a crime. The chamal-administra- racter of Charles Calvert, as displayed in his wise and virtuous administration of the province, for many years anterior to that revolution, is of itself sufficient for his vindication, against any suspicion of hostility to the civil or religious liberties of the people, predicated either upon the occurrence of the revolution, or the vague and unsupported accusations of "the Associators." It has been seen also, that such a suspicion is at war, with all the evidences of his conduct, and the inferences as to his motives, which can be collected from the recorded transactions of the colony itself, before and after that revolution. The addresses of the provincial Assemblies, whilst the colony was yet under his government, breathe nothing but respect for his character, and gratitude for his administration. The revolution accomplished, and the royal government fully established, the character of his administration became again and again the subject of investigation. His land rights, and private revenues derived from the province, were regarded as public grievances: yet we look in vain through the spirited transactions of the Assemblies, under the new government, in opposition to these, even for charges of mal-administration, to sustain such a suspicion. At a later period, it became the interest of the crown, in its attacks upon the proprietary governments generally, to accumulate objections to them, derived from the experience of