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Letter Bk. III
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rely is that as the Militia are not by our Law obliged to
march unless in time of actual Invasion they cannot be com-
pelled to garrison a Fort or to serve in Arms if there is not
an Apparent Enemy within the Limits of the Province as to
the Ravages that have been committed on our Frontiers for
these three years they cannot it seems be properly termed In-
vasions but only Incursions. Such My Lord being the Reason-
ings of the Majority in our Lower House of Assembly I leave
your Ldp to judge of their present Disposition, for my own
part I despair of seeing any Good proceed from their Coun-
cils, & believe I shall find myself under a necessity of pro-
roguing them before I can receive Your Lordship's farther
Commands; In that Case I will immediately give orders for
300 of our best Men to be formed into three Companies &
the Rest to be discharged; to prevent Desertions I must at
the same time give the Captains Leave to draw on me for
some of the Pay that shall be due to their respective Compa-
nies which will amount to a considerable Sum none having
been issued to them by the Provincial Agents since the 8th of
Octr I hope therefore Your Ldp will be so kind as to send me
some farther Instructions concerning this matter as soon as
possible.
[Sharpe to Stanwix.]
4th of March 1758.
Dr Sr
Mr Clark having informed me that he is about to dispatch
an Express to Lancaster I embrace the opportunity to acquaint
you that All the Proceedings of our Lower House of As-
sembly since they met the 13th of Feby serve only to confirm
me in the opinion that I entertained when I writ to you the
22d of Iany Having spent a few Days in perusing the Letter
that the Earl of Loudoun sent me the 30th of Decr they passed
a Vote for supporting 400 Men during the approaching Sum-
mer half of whom were to be stationed according to their old
Plan & the Rest to be at the Disposal of the Earl of Loudoun
upon Condition that the whole Expence of supporting them
should be defrayed by His Ldp in Case of their being ordered
out of the Province. A Day or two afterwards the House
reassumed their Vote & then it was Resolved that the Number
of Troops to be kept up should be only 300. Before a Bill
could be framed in Consequence of this Resolution I received
& laid before them another Letter of His Ldp's dated the 13th
of Feby & requiring them to provide for the Support or Pay
at least of an Additional Number of 400 men over & above
the five Companies that are at present in the Service of this
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