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Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 15
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ers to releive themselves from it. By the Laws of this Prov-
ince all Vessels owned by & properly belonging to Residents
are exempted from the payment thereof & the Naval Officers
are also forbid to take more than half Fees on such Vessels,
the Petitioners may if they please find enough of these at
their Service. Our mariners will be then employed, our Pro-
visions vended, & the Province might receive some Benefit
from this Trade tho the Lord Proprietary & his Governor
should not. But not to dwell on this the last Clause of the
Petition does itself suggest the strongest Argument not only
agst our lightening their Burthens with regard to this Com-
modity but really for encreasing them: It seems that great
Part of the Pig Iron made in this Province is exported from &
our Bar Iron sold in Virga & the Petitioners tell us that their
Officers of the Customs never demand Tonnage on any Vessel
that is employed in bringing thither such Iron from Maryland.
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Letter Bk. I.
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whether the Maryland Vessels that are engaged in that Service
are excused paying any Duty there is nothing to the Ld Bal-
timore or his Goverr but to pass over that, & to consider what
they alledge as an Indulgence to this Province. What do
these Gentlemen ask in Return for the favour. No less than
this, that since they do not charge Us for our manufactured
Goods which they cannot do without & which would cost
them more in proportion to the Imposition that should be laid
thereon We will not charge them for our unmanufactured
Goods which they want to manufacture to our Prejudice. The
Reason why we send our Pig Iron to Virga for Exportation to
Great Britain is that we have not Shipping enough amongst
Ourselves to take it away & if the Petitioners & other Adven-
turers in Virga should by our Indulgence be enabled to supply
the Virga Ships with as much Pig Iron as they may want for
Ballast what Channel shall we find to convey all ours home,
at present we can freight it by the Way of Virga almost as
cheap as from this Province but if the Petitioners were to suc-
ceed we should soon find the Case altered. With respect to
what they advance about the Virginians purchasing their Bar
Iron at this time from Maryland I shall only say that from
their doing so Maryland receives great Advantage, the
greater their Demand is the greater will be our Gain, but
the more they are enabled to make themselves the less shall
we sell them. It is therefore our Interest to discourage their
present Manufactory rather than to encrease it, & I am accord-
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p. 278
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ingly of opinion that the Petition should be rejected. If His
Ldp thinks otherwise or shall be inclined to favour the Gen-
tlemen's Request be pleased to advise me thereof that I may
signify His Ldp's Pleasure to the -Naval Officers, till I receive
your Letter the Petition will lye & I shall avoid giving any
answer to the Person by whom it was presented &c.
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p. 279
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