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Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 397
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met the 22d of that Month I had communicated to them a
Letter which I had received a short time before from Mr Sec-
retary Pitt & also a Copy of that Opinion of His Majesty's
Attorney Genl Mr Pratt which Your Ldp was pleased to trans-
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Letter Bk. IV
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mit to me with Your Letter dated the 3olh of Augst last. I
now take the Liberty to inclose Your Ldp a Copy ot the
Speech with which I opened the Session & also Copies of the
Addresses that were presented to me by both Houses in
answer thereto. After going thro this Ceremony the Lower
House having taken the Letters which I had communicated to
them & the opinion of Mr Pratt into Consideration passed a
Vote for a Thousand Men, but at the same time they Resolved
that the Money necessary for Levying & Supporting them
should be raised by the same Bill which the Upper House had
before rejected & which His Majesty's Attorney Genl had
moreover condemned & pronounced as Your Ldp knows on
many Accounts unfit to be passed into a Law. In Conse-
quence of this Resolve the old Bill was again brought into &
read in the Lower House & on the 31st of March was offered
to the Upper House for their Concurrence, not that any Mem-
ber of the Assembly imagined there was any Probability of its
being assented to but 'twas sent to the Upper House for Form
Sake only, the Majority of the Representives being of
Opinion that they should save Appearances better by pro-
ceeding in this manner than if they had at once declared
themselves absolutely averse to granting Supplies for His
Majesty's Service by any means whatever. It is I presume
almost unnecessary after what has been already said to tell
Your Ldp that this Session ended in just the same manner
that all our late Sessions have done & as I am persuaded
every Session will end while Supplies are demanded for His
Majesty's Service unless the Secretary of State shall think
proper instead of sending me a Circular Letter to address such
a one to me as might shew the Gentlemen of the Lower House
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p. 67
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that having been thorowly advised of their Proceedings he en-
tirely disapproves of their Conduct. As to the Inhabitants of
the Province in general they seem to be very well pleased since
they are not burthened with any more Taxes & as they do not
conceive themselves to be in any Danger now from the Enemy
& are not ambitious of acquiring a Reputation for Zeal & ex-
emplary Loyalty they seem to be very indifferent about the
Event of the Campaign or at least think that the Business can be
effectually done without their interesting themselves in any
manner whatever. During the Session I communicated to
the Gentlemen of the Upper House Your Ldp's Pleasure rela-
tive to a Division of All Saints Parish in Frederick County
whereupon the Attorney Genl prepared a Bill for that purpose
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p. 68
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