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Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 117
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obliged by their Articles of Agreement to pay the rents for a
great many Tracts of Land that either lie in Pensilvania, in some
other County, are included in some Resurvey or that never
did perhaps exist. The question therefore was whether any
& what Allowances should be made to the Farmers for Lands
that might be so circumstanced & till this question was deter-
mined the Rent Rolls were likely to continue in a State of
Confusion because the Farmers would not come to a Settle-
ment. Colo Lloyd being prevailed on to come over towards
the latter End of the Session I embraced the opportunity as
soon as the Assembly was prorogued & agreeable to his Lord-
ships Instructions desired the Secretary, Judges of the Land
Office Attorney Gent & Keeper of the Rent Rolls to meet me
& the Agent at a particular time in order to consider of proper
Steps to be taken to remove the Difficulties that had hitherto
prevented the Farmers from coming to a final Settlement.
Inclosed I send you a Copy of the Resolutions that we came
to which were subscribed by All of Us & given to Mr Thomas
for his Instruction & Guidance. I am in hopes that this will
have the desired Effect & that His Lordship will beleive we
have therein consulted his Interest and acted in such a manner
as we should have done had the Case been our own.
With Regard to what you write concerning Priest Bead-
nail's having presented a Petition to the Lord Proprietary I
can only say that neither He nor any one for Him ever applied
to me for a Noli Prosequi, I find there was such a Person
informed against some time ago & bound over thereupon to
the Provincial Court, but no Evidence appearing agst him the
Affair dropt & it was generally believed that the Information
was malitious & without Foundation. I am glad however that
you gave his Sollicitor such an answer as it will serve to con-
firm the Roman Catholicks in the opinion which I have
endeavoured to establish vizt that if they offend they must not
entertain the least hopes of being suffered to escape with
Impunity.
I am sorry any People should have been so wicked as to
propagate a Report that the Roman Catholicks have met with
any Encouragement in this Province at least since my Admin-
istration but as You are of opinion that it will be expedient
for me to send home a particular Account of all my Transac-
tions relative to Persons of that Persuasion I will forthwith
prepare one & transmit it by way of Letter to His Lordship
by the first Ship that sails & if His Lordship pleases he might
lay the same before the Secretary of State which in my opinion
would be much better than for me to write to him on this
Subject before he has thought proper to write to me thereon.
So far by way of answer.
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