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Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 13
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[Sharpe to Calvert.]
2d June 1757. transmitted by Capt.
Sir
I shall embrace the first opportunity of transmitting a Letter
to London to inform you that while the Assembly was sitting
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Letter Bk. I.
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at Baltimore One Mr Grymes of Virginia who has lately set
up an Iron Work in that Colony & was come to Baltimore to
purchase Ore for supplying his Furnace addressed himself to
me desiring the Naval Officers may be ordered to desist from
collecting the Tonnage Duty on such Vessels as should be
employed in earring such Ore out of the Province intimating
that if I declined to comply with his Request he should think
of applying home for Relief which the Act of Parliament that
was not long since made for the Encouragement of such as
should set up Iron Works in these Colonies gave him hopes
of obtaining. As his Application to me was sudden & the
Request new & unexpected I told him that I could not give
him any Answer then, nor take any Notice of what he had
said but that if he had any Favour or Indulgence to ask of the
Governt he ought to present a Petition in Writing & that if
he should on farther Consideration think proper to do so I
would lay it before the Council & advise with them thereon.
Since the Assembly broke up he has sent me a short Letter in-
closing aPetition subscribed by himself & two otherGentn of Vir-
ginia of which Letter & Petition I send you Copies that you
may submit them to His Ldp & receive his Orders concerning
them. Most of the Gentn of the Council seem to think that
the Petition is not unreasonable but I cannot help differing
from their opinion & I am induced to do so by the following
Considerations. As this Ore which the petitioners speak
of is a Subject of Trade between two provinces independant
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p. 274
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of each other I apprehend that if the excusing the Virginia
Vessels which may be employed in this Trade from the Pay-
ment of Duties here is contrary to the true Interest of Mary-
land they ought on no Acco' to be excused. As to the Cir-
cumstances that the Petitioners mention to raise Compassion
they ought not in my opinion to be regarded, Compassion
has nothing to do in Matters of Trade between two Inde-
pendant States, here Interest alone is the ruling Principle &
in this particular Case what is it to Us whether the Petitioners
have been at a great or a small Expence in setting up their
Works, or how filled the Continuance of the Tonnage Duty on
their Ore Vessels might be to them. Whether their Furnaces
have been erected upon a supposed Stock of Ore in Virginia
which has since failed or in Confidence of being supplied with
our Ore Duty free is to Us a matter of Indifference, if they
proceeded to build on the first Supposition they deserve no
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p. 275
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