262 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.

Letter Bk. IV
Letter Bk.III

hath been raised throughout the Colonies, for I doubt not but
they will all be republished in London & was I to inclose them
they would make my Letter a bulky Packet. I shall by the
first Ship that sails hence transmit Copies of the Acts passed
last Session with the Journals of the two Houses & a com-
pleat Collection of the Laws now in force here & then do
myself the honour to address Your Ldp again, in the mean
time I am &c.

[Sharpe to Lowndes.]

Annapolis 16 feb^y 1766.
Sir
In answer to the Lett^r You wrote to me the 14^th of Sept^r
last by Order of the Lds. Com^rs of His Majestys Treasury
which I have lately received I must desire you to inform Their
Ldps that if the Person appointed to distribute the Stampt
Paper within this Province could with any Security have pro-
ceeded to the Execution of his office I should have thought it
my Duty to give him all the Aid & Assistance in my Power
& would have punctually complied with their Ldps Requisi-
tions, but M^r Hood the Distributor being terrified by the Pro-
ceedings of the populace in this as well as the Neighbouring
Colonies retired some Weeks before the Stamp Act was to
take place to New York where he still remains & as I had no
reason to expect that the People of this Province would suffer
him to execute his office when almost all the other Distributors
on the Continent had been obliged to resign I did not think
it advisable to call upon him to qualify under his Commission
or to expose himself to Insults by returning to the Province
where His Majestys Service could not be thereby at all pro-
moted. There being in his Absence no person authorized to
receive the Stampt Paper which was consigned to him & no
place of Security here in which it could be lodged I desired
Capt Browne of His Majesty's Sloop Hawke who had brought
hither a parcel of it to keep it on board untill Instructions
could be received from His Majesty's Ministers concerning it
with which Request of mine he has complied & still remains
at anchor in this port. I am &c.

[Sharpe to Hamersley.]

Copy of The Governors I^st Letter to Hugh Hamersley Esq
dated Annapolis the 11^th Feb^ry & sent by the Post to N
York to be transmitted by the Packet.
Sir
As I cannot expect any early Opportunity of transmitting
Letters by a Vessel bound from this Province to London I