His effort was to
plant intact in Maryland a feudal order. He would be Palatine, the King his
suzerain. In Maryland the great planters, in effect his barons, should live
upon estates, manorial in size and with manorial rights. The laboring men --
the impecunious adventurers whom these greater adventurers brought out --
would form a tenantry, the Lord Proprietary's men's men. It is true that,
according to charter, provision was made for an Assembly. Here were to sit
"freemen of the province," that is to say, all white males who were not in
the position of indentured servants. But with the Proprietary, and not with
the Assembly, would rest primarily the lawmaking power. The Lord
Proprietary would propose legislation, and the freemen of the country would
debate, in a measure advise, represent, act as consultants, and finally
confirm. Baltimore was prepared to be a benevolent lord, wise, fatherly.
In 1635 met the first Assembly, Leonard Calvert and his Council sitting
with the burgesses, and this gathering of freemen proceeded to inaugurate
legislation. There was passed a string of enactments which presumably dealt
with immediate wants at St. Mary's, and which, the Assembly recognized,
must have the Lord Proprietary's assent. A copy was therefore sent by
the first ship to leave. So long were the voyages and so slow the procedure
in England that it was 1637 before Baltimore's veto upon the Assembly's
laws reached Maryland. It would seem that he did not disapprove so much of
the laws themselves as of the bold initiative of the Assembly, for he at
once sent over twelve bills of his own drafting.
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