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Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 431
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former Period. If His Ldp & you will only consider what
Lengths the Violence of Assemblies has carried them during
former Wars & particularly when Mr Ogle & Mr Bladen were
successively Governors I think you will not be surprized at the
Part which the Lower House of Assembly has acted since the
year 1754 but rather wonder how they have been foiled so
much as they have been for I think I may without Vanity say
that as often as they have thought fit to attack me from the
time they begun with the Roman Catholick Affair I have vin-
dicated my own Conduct; & am of Opinion that the Iniquity
& Unreasonableness of their Proceedings have been also
exposed by many of the Messages which were sent to them
from the Upper House. This being according to my Notion
a true Representation of Things, being not conscious of having
taken any Steps since I have been honoured with His Ldp's
Commission which I am ashamed of or unable to justify, I am
scarcely sorry for what has passed being satisfied that Peace
with the Assembly could not have been purchased or obtained
in such a Situation of Affairs unless I had forfeited my Integ-
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Letter Bk. IV
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rity, & His Ldp's Property together with the Rights of Govern'
been made a Sacrifice. Having given you my Sentiments on
the Plan or Scheme which you were pleased to recommend to
my Perusal & told you how far I think it would be advisable
to pursue it & in what respects it would on Trial be found
impracticable I shall proceed to consider what you say con-
cerning the Justices of the Provincial Court & to make a few
Remarks on that Part of Your Letter. That the Gentlemen
who sit as Judges on the Provincial Bench are not such as
would make a Figure in Westminster Hall is most certain yet
I cannot think they are Men remarkably deficient in Point of
Abilities or Understanding, nor do I believe they are disaf-
fected to the Ld Proprietary or his Government. Most of
them were appointed long before I came to the Province & as
no Complaint was ever made to me concerning their Misbe-
haviour on the Bench or Partiality on any Occasion I never
conceived myself at Liberty to remove them, being forbid as
you know by the 37th Article of my Instructions to remove or
displace any without sufficient & good Cause. Was it pos-
sible to get any Gentlemen who have made the Law their
particular Study to act as Provincial Magestrates doubtless it
would be right to supersede all that are at present on the
Bench & I think none of them could then take such a Step
amiss, but as this is by no means the Case No Person in the
Province having applied himself to that Study but with a View
to practice at the Bar, by which they generally amass consid-
erable Fortunes I presume there is not one among them of
any Note that would decline & relinquish his Business for less
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p. 120
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