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Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 329
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exerted his utmost Influence (which however is inconsiderable)
in favour of those Candidates that he knew would oppose all
reasonable Measures & endeavour to render His Ldp's Gov-
ernment odious to the People. With respect to Colo Lloyd
himself it has been currently reported & is I know believed by
many, that both he & Mr Chamberlayne have in many private
Companies declared themselves in favour of the Assessment
Bill which the Gentlemen of the Upper House have now five
times refused. I need not tell you what Effect such Declara-
tions will naturally have & what Uses will be made thereof, &
perhaps what I have intimated will enable you to account in
some measure for Colo Lloyds declining as he has done to
attend the Assembly. Upon the whole it is my opinion that
it is not in Colo Lloyds power to create any greater Disturb-
ance in the Govt than he has done already but on the Con-
trary it is not unlikely when the People perceive that not-
withstanding his Conduct, he has received & continues to
receive greater Favours from His Ldp than almost any one
Person in the Province they will think the most likely way to
procure or preserve the Lucrative Offices in this Governt is
to follow his Example & shew their Consequence not by pre-
serving good order in the Governt & endeavouring to make
the People easy & satisfied but by throwing as far as possible
every thing into Confusion. You ask why Mr Ross signs the
Journal of the Proceedings of the Upper House only & not of
the Lower; It has never been usual for any one to sign the
Lower House Journal or attest a Copy of it beside their own
Clerk who does attest the Copies that I transmit & I always
send you Copies as soon as they can be made out & an
Opportunity of Conveyance offers, but as the Lower House
Journal is generally much longer than that of the Upper
House, & Mr McNamara their Clerk has a great Deal of other
Business to do, it is sometimes a great While before I can get
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Letter Bk. IV
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a Copy from him & this is the Reason that I do not always
transmit the Iournals of both Houses at the same time. Colo
Henry has been some time laid up with the Gout so that he
has not been at Annapolis this Session but I shall let him
know how much you have served him & will draw an Order in
his favour on Colo Lloyd agreeable to His Ldp's Instructions.
Since the Poll Tax Scheme that I sent you is disapproved of
(tho for my own part I think it as equitable a method of
raising money in this Province as can be proposed) I know of
no other unless the £40000 Bill that passed in 1756 was to be
revived & continued, but that the Gentn of the Lower House
are absolutely determined against, I mean a Majority of them,
nor will they ever agree to raise money on any Account what-
ever unless the Gentn of the Upper House will pass their
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p. 31
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