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422 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.
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Letter Bk. I.
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oning I think must be conclusive & should they deny or ques-
tion the Justness of the Quotation Mr Ridout has taken
Minutes & References so that the Original Books & Pages
can be easily recurred to. however as I think it would be best
to confute every Antagonist or Adversary as effectually as pos-
sible & shew them that all their Arguments have been also
duly considered & regarded, I could wish that His Ldp would
permit you to submit the whole Book herewith sent (containing
a true State of the Revenue Laws &c from the first Settlement
of the Province to the present time, some Addresses from the
Lower House & Report of their Committee concerning them
& the late Governors Answers) to some Lawyer for His
Opinion which if returned me before the Assembly meet again
might if then thought necessary be laid before them to be
entered at large in the Journal of their proceedings & recorded
for the Satisfaction & Conviction of them & Posterity. But
this Matter I humbly submit to His Lordship & yourself that
such Steps may be taken therein as to you shall seem proper.
I am sorry to find that Mr Steuart still persists in his Clamours
against the Act made in July 1754 that imposes a Duty on
Servants. I have writ to the Naval Officers & cautioned them
against collecting or receiving any Duties that are not imposed
by Acts of Parliament or Assembly, but I doubt they will
scarcely decline collecting the Duty of 20/ p Poll on every
Convict imported that shall be sold for Seven years as they
seem to think themselves obliged by their Oath to collect such
Duty. Had I forbid them in positive Terms to forbear Col-
lecting it, t'would have shewn that I knew they had already
done so & I could not have recommended it to the Assembly
to repeal that Part of the Act without discovering a Conscious-
ness of the Duty's being imposed contrary to an Act of Parlia-
ment, besides I am throughly convinced that if I had desired
it or seemed vastly anxious to have the Clause repealed t'would
have given the Lower House some Degree of Satisfaction as
they would have concluded that the Governt was distressed
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p. 208
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about it. however I have taken Care to have it excepted in
the Bill that is now passed & hope that will be enough to
satisfy Mr Steuart, if it does not & His Ldp thinks that it will
involve him in the least trouble or difficulty, I see no Cause
why he should not dissent to the Act & give the Attorney
General's Opinion as his Reason for so doing. A considerable
Part of the £6000 is already raised, & as the other Funds will
I beleive raise the Money before the time limited for sinking
the Paper Money if the Assembly will upon His Ldp's dissent-
ing to this continue them by another Law, I do not apprehend
that the Province will receive any prodigious Detriment from
His Ldp's Dissent, but Mr Steuart may be assured that the
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