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Correspondence of Governor Sharpe, 1757-1761
Volume 9, Page 377   View pdf image (33K)
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Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 377

ernor, or by falling in with the Measures of the Lower House,
over turn the whole frame of the constitution, & throw every
thing into the hands of the People; And lastly, they ought to
be such as can both in point of Health & distance constantly
attend upon every Emergency; add to this, that your council
act not only in a consultive & Legislative, but likewise in a
Judicial capacity, & have the last decision of property in this
Province of every thing that is brought before them; all which
important Powers, very plainly Indicate not only the Propriety
but Necessity of filling up Vacancies that may happen at this
Board; with Men of abilities, of strict & Impartial Justice, &
of proper attachment to his Lordships Just rights & prerog-
ative. When the Council shall be thus constituted, I think
there cannot be much danger from the Noise & clamour that
any Lower House of Assembly may raise; But as the bare
preventing Mischief's to the Proprietors rights & the interest
of the Province in Genral will tend very little to the furtherance
of both, it is worth considering whether the pretended patriot
Spirit & clamour of the Lower House, cannot be either totally
silenced, or rather directed towards the improvement both of
the interest & Honour of his Lordship & his Goverment & of
the prosperity and happiness of the people in General, and here
give Me leave to observe & to lay it down as a Rule; that
whatever Noise & clamour may be raised under the appear-
ance of consulting & promoting the Welfare & happiness of
the people, by their Representatives, 19 in 20 of these in fact
only consult & intend their own private interest; & therefore
by throwing out a Sop in a proper manner to these Noisy
animals it will render them not only silent, but tame enough
to bear stroking & tractable enough to follow any directions
that may be thought fit to be given to them: I would not be
understood here to mean, the buying of those who shall be
pleased to call themselves Leaders, for besides, that tho' they
are in themselves really too insignificant & worthless, yet
would they demand and expect a very considerable price,
wh when they had obtained they would be turned out of
the House & could consequently be of no further service
And one would no sooner be bought off, than their num-
bers would be Increased by others starting up, with the
very same view, from the example thus shown them; but
instead of this, I would take off their followers & leave the
Leaders to Explain either alone or with so slender a Train as
to prevent their doing any Mischief, or obstructing any wise
or Salutary Measure; And this I think may be executed by
the Means the Goverment already have in their hands, even
without Multiplying Officers for this purpose.
There are 58 Members of that House; 14 counties send
Original.
Calvert
Papers.


 
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Correspondence of Governor Sharpe, 1757-1761
Volume 9, Page 377   View pdf image (33K)   << PREVIOUS  NEXT >>


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