Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 19

the month. With this answer they appeared to be pretty
well satisfied at that time but they soon after renewed their
Sollicitations, assuring me that more than 30 Vessels had been
permitted to clear & sail from Virg^a since the Beginning of
that month, tho I could not question the Veracity of some of
the Gentⁿ that gave this Information yet as I had received no
such Instructions from your Ldp I would take no Notice
thereof till the 2^d Inst. when one of them obtained & produced
to me an Authenticated Copy of the order that had been sent
to the Port Officers in Virginia by the Clerk of the Council
which was dated the 5^th of May & was contained in the fol-
lowing words " The Governor having thought proper by the
Advice of the Council to discontinue the Embargo I hereby
acquaint you that you are permitted to clear out any Vessel
from your District after the Eighth of this Inst, upon taking
Bond with security & a Certificate as usual." Upon my lay-
ing a Copy of this order together with Your Ldp's Letter &
the Petitions of the Maryland merchants before the Council of
this Province they advised me to allow the Naval Officers to
clear out any Vessels that were loaded for Great Britain or
Ireland upon the masters of them giving proper Security for
performing such & no other Voyages. As I am persuaded
that it is not Your Ldps Desire to distress the Trade of this
Province more than that of Virginia (the Staple whereof is
the same as ours) I flatter myself that you will not disapprove
of the Steps that I have taken on this Occasion, nor beleive
that any one can be more sollicitous to conduct himself agree-
able to your Ldp's Instructions than My Ld. &c.

[Sharpe to Denny.]

4^th Iune 1757.
Sir An Opportunity of forwarding a Letter to Phila^a Offering I

embrace it to inform you that I have with the Advice of the
Council of this province permitted the Port Officers to clear
any Vessels that are loaded & bound to Great Britain or Ire-
land. Lest you should be surprized at my taking such a Step
without the Earl of Loudoun's Approbation or Knowledge I
must acquaint you that for more than a fortnight the Owners
& masters of the Vessels that were almost loaded when the
Embargo was laid have been presenting Memorials represent-
ing the Injustice of continuing the Embargo here when the
Trade in Virg^a had been a considerable time freed from all
Restraint; tho I could not question the Veracity of some of
the Persons that informed me of the Embargo's being discon-
tinued in Virg^a yet I refused to take any notice of the Repre-