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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Resolutions by the Maryland General Assembly
Maryland. General Assembly
November 1769
Volume 08, Pages 158-159

[From MS. Records in Office of Secretary of State.]

By the Lower House of Assembly of the Province of Maryland November Session 1769

Resolved unanimously, That the Representatives of the Freemen of this Province, in their legislative Capacity, with the assent of the other part of the Legislature, have the sole right to lay Taxes and Impositions on the Inhabitants of this Province, or their Property and Effects; and that the laying, imposing, levying, or collecting, any Tax, on, or from the Inhabitants of Maryland, under Colour of any other Authority, is unconstitutional, and a direct Violation of the Rights of the Freemen of this Province.

Resolved unanimously, That it is the undoubted Privilege of the Inhabitants of this Province to Petition their Sovereign for Redress of Grievances, and that it is Lawful & Expedient to procure the Concurrence of his Majesty's other Colonies in dutiful Addresses, praying the royal Interposition in Favour of Violated Rights in America.

Resolved unanimously, That all trials for Treason, Misprision of Treason, or for any Felony or crime whatsoever committed or done in this Province, ought of right to be had and conducted in and before the Courts of Law held within this Province according to the fixed and known course of Proceeding; and that the Seizing any

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Person, or Persons, Suspected of any Crime whatsoever, committed in this Province, and sending such Person, or Persons, to Places beyond the Sea to be tried is highly derogatory of the Rights of British Subjects, as thereby the Inestimable Privilege of being tried by a jury from the Vicinage, as well as the Liberty of Summoning & producing Witnesses on such Trial, will be taken away from the party accused.