Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1869-04-02
From the Baltimore American.
OLD TIME FACTS AND CURIOSITIES

From the Baltimore American.
OLD TIME FACTS AND CURIOSITIES.
A number of old papers. issued at vari-
Gus times preceding and during the Revo-
lutionary War. and belonging to Col.
Richard s. Mercer, of this city, were re-
Gently exhumed from the depths of an an
cient receptacle, where they had been
mouldering for many years. and careful
reading of them develope many interest
ing facts connected with the early history
of our city, State and country.
A copy Of the Maryland Gazette, print
ed at Annapolis by William Park. and
dated August 18th. 1929, contains the
''Humble Address of the Upper and Low
er House of Assembly, to his Exccllency
Benedict Leonard Calvert, Governor of
the Province of 'Maryland.' The ad-
dress petitions the Governor for the insti-
tuting of measures for the advancing the
market for the staple of tobacco in the
Provinces of Mary land and Virginia, and
presents to the Governor number of bills
for his acceptance. Among the latter is
the following: can act for erecting a
town on the north side of the Patapsco, in
Baltimore county, and for laying out in
lots sixty acres of land in and about the
place where one John Fleming now lives. :"
Tobacco appears to have been at this
time the great staple of production and
subject of legislation, for amongst the
bills presented to the Governor on this
day were no less than five relative to it.
it's expectation and the duties upon it
Taxes were paid with tobacco and laws
were passed assessing certain parishes so
much per poll. to be paid in tobacco, for
the erection or repair of churches. One
act is entitled can. act for the assessment
of ten poll on the taxable persons in St.
Pauls parish. in Queen Anne's and Tai
bert counties. the next levy, and ten per
poll the ensuing; also, for the assessing
ten per poll yearly on the taxable persons
in st. Lukes parish in Queen Anne's
county. until they shall have raised sufi-
cient to complete church in the said
parish" By this it seems that in the
"good old times" the building of churches
was compulsory and enforced by law.
The rulers of the land were brief and
pithy in their remarks. Governor CAL
veft's reply to the address Of the General
Aasembly being eomprised il fse lines
and ending BY suggesting t0 them fkisbs
full duty to the Government in all its
parts and mutual justice and good humor
amongst yourselves"
White men were then owned as slaves,
and some trouble seems to have been ex-
perienced in keeping them, the Maryland
Gazette of this issue having ADVERTISE
ments for five runaway slaves. who are
described as George White, short we'll
set fellow; short hair, of sandy color;'
John Gardner. an Irishman. aged about
thirty, of middle stature, we'll set, black
hair" Exporting convicts was favorite
method of ridding colony of them and
one of the bills passed by the Assembly is
can act to prevent the abuses of conceal
ing convicted felons and other offenders
imported into this province, and for the
better discovery of them"
The Maryland Gazette was printed on
course paper, single sheet. twelve by six
inches in size issued weekly, and sold by
at fifteen shillings per annum.
The credit Of first resisting the landing
of tea in the colonies. after the tax had
been imposed upon it by the British Gov
ernment, is given by history to the peo-
pie of Boston. The famous boarding of
the tea vessels in Boston harbor, and the
overheard of their cargoes, did
not take place until 1775, but by the fol-
lowing printed circular, issued at Anna
polls. it appears that the Marylanders are
entitled to the honor of priority in this
matter. The circular is dated Annapolis.
October 18th, in IVA, and is
as follows: 49,. ...,... .....
YESTERDAY morning. arrived here the
brig Peggy Stuart, Captain jackson, from
London, having on board seventeen pack
ages, containing upwards of two thousand
weight of tea, consigned to Thomas Will
liams & Co.. merchants, in this city
Those of the committee TOR Anne Arundel
county who were in town, hearing of the
arrival of said vessel, met in the afternoon,
and were informed that said vessel had
been there entered in the forenoon and
the duty on tea paid to the Collector by
Stuart, one of the owners of said
brig. Four only of the committee being
present. it was thought advisable to call a
meeting of the people. Notice was i'm
mediately given. Many of the inhabi-
tants, together with number of gentle
men from Anne Arundel, Baltimore and
other counties, who were attending the
Provincial Court, met, aud having called
before them the importers and the captain
Of the ship, the question was moved and
seconded whether the tea should be land
ed in America or not, and, the question
being put, was unanimously determined
in the negative. A committee Of twelve
persons was thereupon appointed to attend
the landing other goods on board said ves-
sci and to prevent landing the tea"
By subsequent papers it is evident that
the tea was not landed and the vessel was
obliged to sail away with it.
A supplement to the Federal Gazette,
issued October 18th, 1898, contains the
''latest news of the complications between
Er,pca md Russia contained in leffors