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Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 111
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framing in the Lower House. This Bill was afterwards sent
to the Upper House & thence returned with a Negative. It
is impossible for me to send a Copy of the Bill by this oppor-
tunity but I have quoted a part of it in a Narrative of the
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Letter Bk. I.
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Assembly's Proceedings & mine with regard to Fort Cumber-
land since my Return from Philaa The principal matter that
has at this time come under Debate was as Your Ldp will
please to observe the Garrisoning that place. The Earl of
Loudoun insists that the People of this Province should be at
the whole Expence since a Part of their Quota of Troops
cannot be otherwise employed to greater Advantage to the
Common Cause nor contribute so much by being posted else-
where to the immediate security of our Frontier Inhabitants.
The Assembly however are of a different opinion & are deter-
mined to prevent any of the Maryland Forces being ordered
thither hereafter by directing & particularly specifying in
their Bill how all the Soldiers that they will ever provide for
shall be at all times employed which the Extract of their Bill
will shew your Ldp more clearly than I can describe. This
Attempt or Proposal of the Assembly's will I am persuaded
be represented home by the Earl of Loudoun as a most vio-
lent Attack on his Majestys Prerogative & be considered I
presume as an Affair of the greatest Consequence for this
Reason I have chosen to throw an Account of my Transac-
tions relating thereto into the Form of a Narrative that all the
Steps which have been taken by me may appear at one View.
When I found that the Lower House of Assembly would not
proceed after the Gentn of the Upper House had rejected the
Bill abovementioned to frame a second I prorogued them
with the Advice of the Council to the first Tuesday in January
next before which time I am in hopes that the Earl of Lou-
doun will be at Annapolis but should His Ldp be obliged to
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P. 318
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defer his Journey beyond that time I shall upon the Return
of my Express from New York prorogue them to a longer
Day. In the mean time I have left it to His Ldp to do with
or dispose of our Provincials as he shall think fit many of
them will I suppose be drafted into the Royal American Regi-
ment & the Rest disbanded His Ldp was upon my telling
him what the Issue of the Sessions would in all probability be
some time ago pleased to give Orders for some other Troops
being marched to Fort Cumberland, in Case our Assembly
should not be brought to comply with his Requisition & I
shall take upon myself the Care of Garrisoning Fort Fred-
erick with Militia till other measures can be taken for our
Security. For my own Part I have been a long time con-
vinced that nothing effectual can be done in America unless
all the Colonies are compelled to furnish their respective
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p. 319
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