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Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 147
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this Vote was reassumed & then the number was reduced to
300. Before a Bill could be framed in Consequence of this
Resolution I received & communicated to them another Letter
from the Earl of Loudoun wherein His Ldp desired that an
Additional Number of Men over & above the 500 supposed
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Letter Bk. I,
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to be already on Foot should be raised immediately at the
Expence of this Province & be ready about the Beginning of
April to join such of His Majestys Regular Forces as might be
employed this Summer in an Expedition to the Westward of
these Southern Colonies. Upon this it was Resolved in the
Lower House that Provision should be made for the Support
of 300 Men to be employed for the more immediate Defence
& Protection of our Frontier Inhabitants & that 400 Addi-
tionals should be raised to act in Conjunction with His Maj-
esty's Regular Forces. A Bill was thereupon prepared for
raising the necessary Supplies but as the Majority of the
House were entirely averse to giving Money great Care was
taken to Clog it in such a manner as might lay the Upper
House under the Necessity of refusing it, by which means it
was hoped that the odium which might be the Consequence
of no Supplies being granted would fall entirely on those that
rejected & not on those that had offered a Bill for His Maj-
estys Service. Agreeable to their Expectations it was re-
turned with a negative & by Advice of the Council the
Assembly was prorogued as soon as the Lower House had
come to a Resolution that they would enter on no new Busi-
ness. Matters being thus brought to an Issue & no hopes
left of any Assistance from the Assembly I advised with the
Council about the Steps that ought to be taken for the Pro-
tection of our Frontier Inhabitants & agreeable to their
Advice I issued orders Yesterday Evening after the Assembly
was prorogued for two more Companies of Militia to march
to Fort Frederick & do Duty there for two months, at the
Expiration of which time I proposed to order some others to
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p. 330
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relieve them & also to go thither Myself. But I have this
Morning received Letters from Mr Pitt advising me of the
Earl of Loudoun's being recalled & requiring me to convene
the Assembly again as soon as possible & to press them in
the most importunate manner to raise a considerable Body of
Troops for the Service of the ensuing Campaign. This being
the Case I shall be obliged to meet them once more next
Thursday Sennight the Day to which they stand prorogued,
& I hope we shall then do something for promoting the
Common Cause tho I must confess at the same time I am much
afraid that this Circular Letter of Mr Pitt will not be considered
as an order to the Assemblies so much as an Instruction to the
several Governors to purchase Supplies from the People at
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p. 331
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