Biographies-Laurence O'Neal Biography Page 2

A Biography of Laurence O'Neal-Part two

On page 1 we learned that Laurence was acvtive in Maryland Politics around the time of the American Revolution. Below are some tanscripts found on the Maryland State Archives. The first shows Laurence's appointment to the United States House of delegates.....

TUESDAY, November 15, 1796.
THE house met.
Present the same members as on yesterday.
The proceedings of yesterday were read.
Mr. Lawrence Oneale, a delegate returned for Montgomery county, Mr. William Corbin, a delegate returned for Worcester county, Mr. David McMechen, a delegate returned for Baltimore-town, and Mr. James Carroll, a delegate returned for Baltimore county, appeared, and after qualifying in the mode prescribed by the constitution and form of government, and taking the oath to support the constitution of the United States, took their seats in the house.

( LAURENCE ONEALE )
Caveat in the land office;
THOMAS GASSAWAY May 4, 1790.
ON full deliberation of the circumstances in this cause; the exhibits, the arguments of counsel, the rules and practice of the land office and the acts of assembly relative thereto, the chancellor is of opinion, That it cannot be considered, that the late chancellor determined the main point in controversy by granting leave to correct an erroneous certificate; that, by granting such leave, he did not intend to enlarge the time limited by law for compounding,and to determine that, until the certificate should be corrected, the vacant land therein comprized should not be liable to proclamation:
That although there is manifest hardship in the present case; although the chancellor is disposed, as much as he can with propriety, to discountenance all attempts to preclude a man from the fruits of his honest industry and attention, and although he is impowered to decide all disputes in the land office on the principles established in the court of chancery, he is obliged by the positive law of the land, to decide that vacant land, comprehended in any certificate whatever, must be compounded for within one year from the date of the warrant; that as, in the present case, the caveator did not compound within one year from the date of his warrant, the vacant land comprehended in his certificate was liable to be taken by the first person who applied for a warrant to affect the same, notwithstanding the leave given by the late chancellor to correct the certificate; and that the defendant Thomas Gassaway, being the person who so applied, was entitled to the warrant which issued in his favour.
It is therefore adjudged, ordered and decreed, this fourth day of May 1790, that the caveat of Lawrence Oneale be dismissed.
A. C. HANSON, Chancellor.

WEDNESDAY, November 6, 1799.
THE house met.
Present the same members as on yesterday.
The proceedings of yesterday were read.

A memorial from Lawrence Oneale, of Montgomery county, stating, that the election for said county was not held agreeably to the constitution and form of government, was preferred, read, and referred to the committee of elections and privileges to consider and report thereto.

Further your committee report, that the sheriff of Montgomery county has returned Robert P. Magruder, George Riley, Thomas Turner and Elimeleck Swearingen, Esquires, duly elected delegates for said county, but that it is stated by the memorial of Lawrence Oneale, referred to your committee, that the sheriff of Montgomery county aforesaid did close the polls of the election for said county between the hours of seven and eight o’clock if the evening on the fourth day of said election, contrary to the advice and request of the said memorialist, and that there were several voters in the town where the election was held ho intended and would actually have voted for the memorialist had the polls not been closed as aforesaid.

Your committee, unable to ascertain the truth of the several statements contained in the foregoing representations, are of opinion that a day shall be fixed by the house to inquire into the facts therein respectively set forth, and that summonses should issue for witnesses to appear, on the application of the respective parties petitioning against the returns, or any of the sitting members.

On further progression in reading the said report,
RESOLVED, That this house will proceed to the examination of the conduct of the sheriff of Montgomery county, and the facts stated in the petition of Lawrence Oneale, touching and concerning the said election, on Friday next.
ORDERED, That the clerk of this house, at the request of any of the parties concerned, issue subpœnas for witnesses, commanding their attendance at the bar of this house on the morning of Friday next, and that a copy of the above order be served on the sheriff of Montgomery county.

On further progression in reading the said report, the question was put,
That the house concur with that part of the said report which relates to the election of delegates for Frederick county?

The yeas and nays being required, appeared as follow:

AFFIRMATIVE.
Messieurs
Hall,
McPherson,
Digges,
Lemmon,
Brown,
Love,
Nabb,
Denny,
Duckett,
Quynn,
Wright,
Frazier,
Thompson,
Lowrey,
McComas,
Orrell,
Boon,
Buchanan,
Johonnot,
Geoghegan,
McClain,
Cellar,
Riley,
Swearingen,
Perry,
Tomlinson,
Beall, Haynes.
28.

NEGATIVE.
Messieurs
Leigh,
Neale,
Wroth,
Dunn,
Bogden,
Worthington,
Carcaud,
Taney,
Brome,
Carroll,
Rose,
Hyland,
Frazier,
Pattison,
Goldsborough,
Wallace,
Addison,
Marbury,
Calvert,
Key,
Purnell,
Gunby,
Franklin,
Street,
Ayres,
Bond,
Mason,
Magruder,
Turner, Rice.

30.

So it was determined in the negative.

RESOLVED, That the return of the sheriff of Frederick county is a valid constitutional return, and the persons returned by him as delegates are entitled to their seats in this house.
On motion, the question was put, That the report of the committee, so far as relates to Washington county, be postponed till Friday next, the delegates wishing to be heard by counsel at the bar of the house in support of the return of the sheriff?

The yeas and nays being required, appeared as follow:

AFFIRMATIVE.
Messieurs
Hall,
Digges,
Lemmon,
Brown,
Love,
Rose,
Nabb,
Denny,
Haynes,
Duckett,
Quynn,
Wright,
Frazier,
Thompson,
Lowrey,
Street,
McComas,
Ayres,
Bond,
Mason,
Orrell,
Boon,
Buchanan,
Johonnot,
Riley,
Swearingen, Tomlinson, Beall, Rice.
29.

NEGATIVE.
Messieurs
Leigh,
Neale,
Wroth,
Dunn,
Brogden,
Worthington,
Carcaud,
Taney,
Brome,
McPherson,
Carroll,
Hyland,
S. Frazier,
Pattison,
Goldsborough,
Wallace,
Addison,
Marbury,
Calvert,
Key,
Purnell,
Gunby,
Franklin,
Sappington,
Thomas,
Shriver,
Magruder,
Perry.
28.

So it was resolved in the affirmative.

On motion, the question was put,
That the house reconsider the last question?

The yeas and nays being required, appeared as follow:

AFFIRMATIVE.
Messieurs
Leigh,
Neale,
Wroth,
Dunn,
Bogden,
Worthington,
Carcaud,
Taney,
Brome,
McPherson,
Carroll,
Hyland,
Frazier,
Pattison,
Goldsborough,
Haynes,
Wallace,
Addison,
Marbury,
Calvert,
Key,
Purnell,
Gunby,
Franklin,
Sappington,
Thomas,
Shriver,
Magruder,
Turner, Perry.
30.

NEGATIVE.
Messieurs
Hall,
Digges,
Lemmon,
Brown,
Love,
Rose,
Nabb,
Denny,
Duckett,
Quynn,
Wright,
C. Frazier,
Thompson,
Lowrey,
Street,
McComas,
Ayres,
Bond,
Mason,
Orrell,
Boon,
Buchanan,
Johonnot,
Geoghegan,
McClain,
Cellar,
Riley,
Swearingen,
Tomlinson, Beall, Rice.
31.

So it was determined in the negative.

The house adjourns till Monday morning 9 o’clock.

The house took into consideration the order of the day, and after examining witnesses at the bar of the house,
RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY, That the election for Montgomery has been fairly and constitutionally conducted, and that the delegates returned by the sheriff of that county as duly elected are entitled to hold their seats in this house.
ORDERED, That Mr. Key, Mr. Hall, Mr. Duckett, Mr. McPherson and Mr. Wallace, be a committee to tax the costs which have accrued in consequence of the memorial of Lawrence Oneale against the constitutionality of the election for said county.

Mr. Key, from the committee, brings in and delivers to the speaker the following report:
THE committee appointed to tax the fees and allowances on the memorial exhibited by Lawrence Oneale, of Montgomery county, against the constitutionality of the late election of said county, report, that in obedience to the order of the house they have proceeded to tax the said fees and allowances, to wit.

To the clerk of the house of delegates, for issuing twelve subpœnas for witnesses, at 3f.
To the sergeant at arms, for serving eleven subpœnas,
To Benjamin W. Jones, for one day attendance and four days itinerant charges, at 18f9,
To John L. Summers, for same,
To Josias H. McPherson, for same,
To Thomas Cramphin, for same,
To Daniel Reintzel, for same,
To Thomas West, for same,
To Joseph West, for same,
To Lawrence Holt, for same,

1 16 0
1 13 0
4 13 9
4 13 9
4 13 9
4 13 9
4 13 9
4 13 9
4 13 9
4 13 9
--------
40 19 6

Your committee are of opinion that the above costs and allowances ought to be paid by Lawrence Oneale, on demand, All of which is submitted to the house.
By order, J. F. HARRIS, clk.
By the SENATE, November 18, 1799.

On the second reading of the report of the committee appointed to tax the fees on the memorial of Lawrence Oneale against the constitutionality of the election of Montgomery county, the question was put,
That the house concur with that part of the said report relative to the clerk of the house and the serjeant at arms?
Resolved in the affirmative.

On progression in reading the said report, the question was put,
That the house concur with that part of the said report respecting the witnesses allowances?
Determined in the negative.

The following resolution was then propounded to the house, and read, viz.
RESOLVED, That the different witnesses mentioned in the said report be each entitled to the sum of ------- for each day’s attendance, and that five days be allowed to each witness for attendance and itinerant charges.

On the second reading of the said resolution, the question was put,
That the blank be filled up with two dollars?
The yeas and nays being required, appeared as follow:

AFFIRMATIVE.
Messieurs
Leigh,
Dunn,
Wroth,
Carcaud,
Parnham,
McPherson,
Stewart,
Keene,
Magruder,
Riley,
Haynes,
Wallace,
Quynn,
Thompson,
Corbin,
Thomas,
Mason,
Potter,
Orrell,
Buchanan,
Turner,
Swearingen,
Perry, Rice.
24.

NEGATIVE.
Messieurs
Neale,
Barroll,
Tilghman,
Harwood,
Hall,
Brogden,
Worthington,
Taney,
Digges,
Edmondson,
Cottman,
Hyland,
Wilkins,
Frazier,
Pattison,
Goldsborough,
Rumsey,
Addison,
Duckett,
Marbury,
Frazier,
Lowrey,
Gunby,
Franklin,
Sappington,
Shriver,
Street,
McComas,
Bond,
Boon,
Johonnot,
Beall.
32.

So it was determined in the negative.
The question was then put, That the said blank be filled up with eleven shillings and three-pence?
Resolved in the affirmative.

The report being read throughout, the question was put,
That the house concur with the last clause in said report?

The yeas and nays being required, appeared as follow:

AFFIRMATIVE.
Messieurs
Wroth,
Dunn,
Tilghman,
Worthington,
Carcaud,
Taney,
Brome,
McPherson,
Cottman,
Stewart,
Wilkins,
Pattison,
Keene,
Wallace,
Rumsey,
Quynn,
C. Frazier,
Thompson,
Lowrey,
Purnell,
Gunby,
Franklin,
Sappington,
J. Thomas,
Shriver,
McComas,
Bond,
Mason,
Potter,
Orrell,
Boon,
Riley,
Swearingen,
Perry,
Tomlinson, Rice.
36.

NEGATIVE.
Messieurs
Neale,
Harwood,
Hall,
Brogden,
Edmondson,
Hyland,
S. Frazier,
Goldsborough,
Addison,
Duckett,
Marbury,
Corbin,
Street,
Buchanan,
Johonnot,
Beall.
16.

So it was resolved in the affirmative.

Source:
Above on line at the Archives of Maryland Web Site
http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us/