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104 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.
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Letter Bk. III
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21st Octr & wherein I pressed them to make immediate Pro-
vision for the farther Support of the Garrison at Fort Cum-
berland & the other Troops that have been raised for the
Defence of this Colony, I can at present do no more than
acknowledge the Receit of your Ldp's two Letters dated the
16th of Octr & 3d Inst, & inform Your Ldp that I hear the
Assembly have at length framed a Bill agreeable to the
Resolve which they had made when I writ last & that they
seem determined to adhere to their Resolution. The opinion
which some of our Lawyers gave on a Part of the Act which
was made here last Summer was very different from what
Your Ldp seems to apprehend, it relates only to the Power of
our Agents to pay & victual those of our Troops that were at
Fort Cumberland & not at all to the Power of Your Ldp or
any other Officer to march them thither. The occasion of the
Agents addressing themselves to Lawyers for such opinion
was this, When Colo Stanwix advised me of his having sent
Capt Dagworthy peremptory orders to remain at Fort Cum-
berland with a Part of the Troops that were in the pay of this
Province & to pay no manner of Regard to the Resolutions
of our Assembly or of the orders of any Person besides him-
self I sent for the Agents & told them that I expected they
would take Care to have the Garrison of Fort Cumberland
duly paid & supplied with Provisions. As they seemed to
look upon themselves as Servants to the Assembly & to think
that they had nothing else to do but to act agreeable to the of
those by whom they were nominated, I cautioned them to
beware & declared that if they refused or neglected to sup-
ply the Troops at Fort Cumberland I would certainly order
the Attorney Genl to prosecute them. This put them upon
consulting Lawyers & they were by them told as I have
already hinted that it was not their Business to enquire
whether the Troops were stationed agreeable to the Direc-
tions of the Act of Assembly or not, but to victual & pay
them at Fort Cumberland or any other Place. As this My
Ld is really the Case & as my communicating that part of
your Ldps Lett to the Assembly would most certainly bring
the Resentment of many Persons on the Gentn with whom
Your Ldp was pleased to converse at N York on this Subject
I must take the Liberty to suppress that Clause if I should
find it expedient to send a Copy of Your Ldp's Letter to the
Assembly before I have the Satisfaction to see Your Ldp at
Annapolis & the honour to receive your farther Commands.
As Your Ldp is pleased to approve of my Resolution to dis-
sent to any Bill that might be offered if the Service of our
Provincial is to be thereby restrained I shall forthwith send
Orders to three or four Companies of Militia to hold them-
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