CHAPTER XVIII

REMOVAL OF THE CAPITAL TO ANNAPOLIS

IT WAS not long after the province had grown to a considerable size that the capital was removed from St. Mary's to Annapolis, on the Severn River, another center of the early aristocracy, who found it more convenient for the capital to come to them than for them to go to it, situated as it was at the extreme southern part of the State, necessitating a long journey over the roughest of roads. Several attempts had been made to remove the capital from its original site, and in the year 1683 the Assembly was held at The Ridge, Anne Arundel County but, this being found unsatisfactory in regard to accommodations, no further session was held there.

This, however, was not the first time that the Provincial Court had held its august meetings away from the scene of the Lord Baltimore's government. In the year 1654, after the commissioners appointed by the English Parliament had reduced to submission the rebellious Province of Maryland, which had shown itself favorable to a royal ruler, a petition from a hundred or more leading citizens called for the removal of the captial from the Catholic stronghold to the house of Richard Preston, the great Quaker and Commander of the Patuxent. This was accordingly done and the Preston mansion became the Provincial Court and the meeting place of the Assembly, and also the repository of the official records from this time until 1660, when the King (and at the

same time the Lord Baltimore) came to his own again. The result of this change of capitals was the battle of the Severn, which begun with an attack on the Preston house with the avowed purpose of capturing Richard Preston "that we might hang him for his rebellion against the Lord Baltimore." The battle, which begun on the Patuxent, was fought to a finish at Providence, and the old Preston house, built in 1650, still stands to mark the scene of one of the most interesting events in the history of the early government.

To Governor Francis Nicholson Maryland is indebted for the permanent removal of the capital to the Port of Annapolis.

The people of St. Marie's protested with all the energy and vigor of men who recognized in this the deathblow to their ancient seat of government. Every argument was used to convince his Excellency Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief over "this their Majesties' Province and Territory of Maryland" that St. Marie's was the most suitable situation for the capital, because “almost encompassed around with harbor for shipping, where 500 sail of ships at least may securely ride at anchor before the city."

As an offset to the inconvenience of reaching it the citizens of St. Marie's offered to provide "a coach or caravan, or both, to go at all times of public meetings of Assemblies and Provincial Courts, every day daily between St. Marie's and Patuxent River, and at all other times once a week, and also to keep constantly on hand a dozen horses at least, with suitable furniture for any person or persons having occasion to ride, post or otherwise, with or without a guide, to any part of the prov

ince on the Western Shore." They further argued that their distance from the center of the province was no reason for removal, since the Imperial Court "is held at London, which is as far from the center of England as St. Marie's, in this Province; Boston, in New England; Port Royal, in Jamaica; Jamestown, in Virginia, and almost all other of their Majesties' American plantations where are still kept and continued in their first ancient stations and places the chief seat of government and courts of judicature."

The petition was referred to the House and all of the sixteen separate pleas dismissed summarily to the last. "This House conceives that the Citie of St. Marie's is very unequally rankt with London, Boston, Port Royall etc." This was a withering slap at the ambitious little city which, according to these burgesses, like Pharaoh's lean kine, devoured everything and yet attained to no size. The truth was that the seed of progress had been planted by that far-seeing and public-spirited Governor, Francis Nicholson, whose purpose to benefit the province was not to be frustrated by those who wished to further their private interests by keeping the seat of government at St. Mary's. Therefore, the House of Burgesses rejected the petition, and the Council concurring in its action the removal was effected in the year 1694. The public records of the Province were ordered to be carried in good strong bags to be secured with cordage and hides and well packed, with guards to attend them night and day, to be protected from all accidents and to be delivered to the Sheriff of Anne Arundell Town. Capt. William Holland was intrusted with their transportation. On October 18, 1694, the name of the new capital was changed from the

"Town Land at Proctors" to that of the "Town and Port of Annapolis." The first commissioners appointed were Major Edward Dorsey, Major John Hammond, Mr. John Dorsey, Hon. Nicholas Greenberry, Esq., Mr. Philip Howard, Mr. Andrew Norwood, Mr. John Bennett and Mr. John Sanders. Two years later an act was passed for keeping good rules and order in the town of Annapolis. The body corporate then appointed included Governor Francis Nicholson, the Hon. Sir Thomas Lawrence, the Hon. Thomas Tench, the Hon. Col. Nicholas Greenberry, Major Edward Dorsey, Captain Richard Hill and Mr. James Sanders. Among other interesting acts passed by the Assembly of 1696 was one for the improvement of the new capital. One of the provisions was that "an handsome pair of gates be made at ye coming in of the towne and two triangular houses built for ye Rangers. To have the way from the gate to go directly to the top of ye hill without the towne and to be ditched on each side and sett with quick setts or some such thing." The first meeting of the Assembly was held in the house of Major Edward Dorsey, which, as it was chosen for the Governor's residence and the place for the meeting of the Provincial Court and Assembly, was evidently the most commodious house in the Town and Port of Annapolis. How the quaint little city, inclosed in mediæval style behind its iron gates and its King's Rangers, grew in wealth and splendor we all know and recall with pride that Eddis in his famous letters declared that society here compared favorably with the most brilliant circles of London.

CHAPTER XIX

THE OLD TUESDAY CLUB

IN THIS day of many clubs of serious intentions, whose members are inclined to take seriously every opinion advanced, it is delightfully relaxing to take a retrospective peep at the old Tuesday Club, of Annapolis, with its unique gelastic law passed in the interest of good feeling and fun. The gelastic law, passed on the 18th of June, 1745, was that "If any subject whatever nature so ever be discussed which levels at party matters or the administration of the government of this Province, or be disagreeable to the club, no answer shall be given thereto, but after such discourse is ended the society shall laugh at the member offending in order to divert the discourse."

At the very next meeting-June 25-we find "the gelastic law was this night put in execution against Mr. Secretary Marshe, who got into a prolix harrangue about the conscience of lawyers. Order that Secretary Marshe entertain this society upon Tuesday, the 2nd of July, next ensuing."

The London "Spectator," commenting upon early clubs in England, says: "When men are thus knit together by a love of society, not by a spirit of faction, and do not meet to censure or annoy those that are absent, but to enjoy one another; when they are thus combined for their own improvement or for the good of others, or at least relax themselves from the business of the day by an in