be able to get some Employment at Phil^a tho he does not
understand English. The Gentlemen of our Upper House of
Assembly having rejected the Supply Bill which the Lower
House had framed & the Latter having thereupon Resolved
that they would not enter on any New Business I prorogued
them yesterday morning & in the Evening issued orders for
two more Companies of Militia to march to the Frontiers &
relieve those that are now there, being determined to depend
entirely on the Militia for the Security of the Frontiers during
the approaching Campaign but what measures the Gentlemen
of the Council will now advise me to pursue I know not.
All that I can say is that if we will have Supplies granted we
must submit to such Terms as the Lower House will be pleased
to impose & that it will be much against my Conscience to
do so. Should this happen the Governor of Maryland as well
as the Upper House will become contemptible & must think
of nothing hereafter but how they may yield most decently to
every Demand that the Lower House of Assembly shall think
proper to make — I should take it as a particular Favour if
You will be so kind as to give me a Hint of what is likely to
be the Issue of M^r Franklin's Embassy & to tell me whether
you have any prospect of persuading Your Assembly to grant
Supplies at this time in Consequence of M^r Pitt's Letter by
such a method & on such Conditions as you can approve of
or accept —

[Sharpe to Baltimore.]

10^th of March 1758 —
My Ld.
In the Lett^r which I did myself the honour to address to
Your Ldp the 21^st & in that which I wrote to M^r Calvert the
26^th of Dec^r I informed Y^r Ldp & him that the Assembly had
broke up the 16^th of that month without making the least pro-
vision for the Support of any Troops to act in Conjunction
with His Majesty's Forces or even to protect our Frontier
Inhabitants. Your Lordship hath been also informed that at
the Request of the Lower House I sent the Earl of Loudoun
a Copy of the Supply Bill which had been framed & an
Address that had been presented to me at the Conclu-
sion of the Session relative thereto. On the 13^th of Feb^y
I met the Assembly again & laid before them the Letter
that His Ldp had been pleased to write to me upon Re-
ceiving the abovementioned Bill, The Lower House soon
afterwards passed a Vote for supporting 400 men instead of
the 500 which were setled last Spring as our reasonable
Quota, but not more than a Day or two had elapsed before