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100 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.
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Letter Bk. I.
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weeks no Supply Bill is yet finished. They propose I hear to
grant about £20,000 for the Support of 300 Men for the imme-
diate Protection of the Frontier Inhabitants, but by all Ac-
counts the Bill will contain so many exceptionable Clauses
that there is not the least Probability of its passing the Upper
House. The Money is I am told to be raised by a Tax on all
Real & Personal Estates, on Offices, Professions, His Ldp's
Quit Rents & Ecclesiastical Preferment. The Tax to be laid
by Assessors appointed by certain Commissioners whom the
People are to choose, & the Troops to be in fact under the
Command of no Body but the Agents; to compleat the whole
the Gentn intend to impower their Agents to give any of our
Indian Allies that may come & serve on our Frontiers such
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p. 315
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Presents & Rewards as they alone shall think proper; & to
specify in the Bill at what particular Places any Troops that
the Earl of Loudoun may order to this Province shall be quar-
tered. What will be the Event & Issue of the Session I
cannot certainly say but it is not I think very improbable that
it will be left to me to garrison Fort Frederick & protect the
Frontier Inhabitants during the Winter with three or four
Companies of Militia, I have writ to Lord Loudoun &
desired him to take such Measures as he shall think best for
the Preservation of Fort Cumberland & if His Ldp will order
a pretty strong Garrison thither I shall not be very anxious
about the Assembly's Resolutions. As I am inclined to think
that His Ldp will upon the Receit of my Letter advise the
Ministry of the Assembly's unaccountable Resolution to reduce
our Troops & to grant no Supplies for the Support of any
that may be ordered to Fort Cumberland I thought proper to
send you the inclosed Account of what has passed between
me & the Assembly with regard to that place. The Number
of Men in Garrison there at this time is about 230. they are
paid up to the 10th of Octr & as Colo Stanwix has as well as
myself ordered them up a Quantity of Provisions there is no
fear of their abandoning that Place before His Ldp can send
orders for other Troops to march thither. If the Parliament
should in Consequence of the Earl of Loudoun's Representa-
tion take the Conduct of our Assembly as well as the Pro-
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p. 316
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ceedings of a Neighbouring one under Consideration & Ease
them of the Trouble of framing Supply Bills by making
some for them, You will be pleased to remember that no
Considerable Sums of Money (except what has arisen from
the Duty on Tobo) has been ever raised in this Province
otherwise than by a Poll Tax, that as the People have been
always accustomed to that Mode of Taxation they all prefer it
to any other except some few Leading Men of the Assembly
who desire nothing more than to throw things into Confusion
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