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Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 419
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the Supply Bill which I will get transcribed time enough to
transmit it herewith. In my Letter of the 5th Inst I informed
you that the Two Houses had agreed on a Conference & that
I apprehended there were too many Exceptionable Clauses in
the Bill to be ever got over, however after a warm Engagement
between the Conferees which lasted more than a Week the
Lower House amended the Parts that had been principally
objected to & left no very exceptionable Clauses unless it be
that which subjects His Ldp's Mannours & other demised
Lands to the Payment of the Land Tax which as you will see
is made one of the Funds for sinking the Money, & unless
that Clause also be thought to deserve such an Epithet which
makes the Lands of Roman Catholicks liable to the Payment
of a double Tax as is done by the Statutes of England. A Day
or two before the Bill was sent to the Upper House there was
a Petition left for me at the Council Chamber subscribed by
some of the principal Roman Catholicks in the Country desiring
me to dissent to the Bill (which they said lay before me) because
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Letter Bk. I.
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it imposed a double Tax on the Lands of all Persons of their
Persuasion. I could not help thinking that this Step was a
little extraordinary as they had heard & known that the Lower
House had or were about to insert such a Clause in the Supply
Bill at least 8 weeks before, & had never put a Petition into
that House nor desired to be heard against the Bill there, tho
they had been advised so to do, had they followed such Advice
their Application afterwards to the Superiour Branches of the
Legislature would have been regular & decent, & no more than
would have been expected from them, but to pay no manner of
Regard to that Branch of the Legislature where the Bill was
taking its Rise, & knowing it would be thought a little irregular
for the Upper House to offer Amendments to a Money Bill to
make no Objection before it came before them, & then to shew
that they relied on the Governor to dissent to the Bill, was
proceeding in such a manner as could only tend to give
Clamorous & Factious people an Occasion of representing the
Governor & Council as Favourers of Popery, which surely is a
Charge that they nor any Friends to the Govern' should at
such a time give the least Room for. I send you a Copy of
the Petition abovementioned & of the answer that was by my
Order given thereto, & tho I would have prevented such a
Taxation as they complain of had it been possible yet I do not
think that the Injustice of it is so great as they would represent
it, nor is such as ought in my Opinion to be set in Competition
with the Lives of hundreds or perhaps with the preservation of
the whole Province. It might be observed that they are &
have been for a long time excused from attending Musters as
Militia (a Priveledge which they enjoy in common with the
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p 204
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