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Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 3 1 7
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had been Caballing in many Parts of the Country, nay Mr
Chase Rector of St Paul's Parish in Baltimore County scrupled
not to intimate from the Pulpit to his Congregation that the
State or Situation of the Protestants in this Province was at
that time very little different from that of the Protestants in
Ireland at the Eve of the Irish Massacre. In order to learn
whether the Behaviour of the Papists or of any Negroes had
given reason or afforded Room for such Reports I convened
the Gentln of the Council & by their Advice Circular Letters
were sent to the Justices of the Peace in the several Parts of
the Province whereby they were directed to enquire whether
the Roman Catholicks in their respective Counties had mis-
behaved or whether there was any Foundation for the Reports
which had been spread concerning them & which had made
many of his Majesty's good Subjects in the Province very
uneasy. The Letters which I shall herewith transmit to Your
Ldp in a Packett marked No 1, will shew that None of the
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Letter Bk. IV
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County Courts could upon the Strictest Enquiry find that
any of the Papists had behaved or expressed themselves in an
unbecoming manner, tho indeed the Justices of Prince Georges
County (who it seems had taken extraordinary Pains to make
Discoveries but in vain) were too much prejudiced to acquit
them or at least to acquit their Priests of having ill Designs
against the Government. When the Assembly met in April
following the Lower House incited by two or three Gentlemen
whose Interest & popularity were thereby promoted presented
an Address to me which was calculated to inflame the People
still more against the Papists & to make 'em believe that they
or a few of them at least had received extraordinary Favours
from myself. I cannot help thinking that Your Ldp was
thoroughly satisfied by the Answer I gave the Gentn the 24th
of April 1756 which is printed in their Journal that the Alle-
gations or Insinuations contained in their Address were false
& groundless & indeed I am persuaded that if they had not
been convinced thereof & been sensible that they had been
imposed on they would not have failed to make a Reply.
During the same Session the Gentn of the Upper House
thought proper to frame a Bill for preventing the Growth of
Popery within this Province, by which the Priests were to be
rendered incapable of holding any Lands, to be obliged to
register their Names & give large Security for their good
Behaviour, forbid to make a Proselyte under pain of the Pen-
alty for High Treason, & it was to have been Enacted by the
said Bill that no Person who should hereafter be educated at
any forreign popish Seminary could be qualified to inherit any
Estate or to hold Lands within this Province. There were
many other Restraints to be laid on them by this Bill as Your
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p. 24
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