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Correspondence of Governor SJiarpe. 489
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manner as was that Copy which I transmitted in the Year
1755 for the Council Office would be attended with a very
heavy Expence, of which it is evident (by their having refused
to reimburse me what I paid for the abovementioned Copy)
that the Assembly would not defray the least Share, nor do I
believe they will ever contribute a Shilling towards an Edition
of our Laws unless the Editor will leave out the Tunnage Law
& the Act made in 1704 for the Support of Government.
Had not such Obstacles as these prevented it a Sum of Money
would ee'r this time have been granted to encourage the Revd
Mr Bacon to send a Copy of all the Acts of Assembly now in
force (which he has collected & compared with the Records)
to the Press; but as the Expence of Paper, of printing, cor-
recting the Press, & of binding them would be very consider-
able, perhaps £400 Stg a Sum much larger than he is able to
advance, all his Labour & pains will I fear be lost & the Prov-
ince long remain without a good Edition of our Laws, tho the
Want thereof is extreemly obvious & much lamented. It is
now two or three years since Mr Bacon published Proposals
inviting people to subscribe at the Rate of Forty Shillings
Currency for each Book or printed Copy & promising to send
his Collection or Written Copy to the Press as soon as a suf-
ficient Sum to defray the Expence of Printing should be sub-
scribed, but the people in this Province being averse to
Subscriptions, his proposals met with a cool Reception tho I
cannot but be of opinion, that if the Acts of Assembly were
once published agreeable to Mr Bacons plan many more
Copies might be sold in the Province than would defray all
Expences attending the Publication, & therefore that Mr Bacon
might be enabled to proceed I would readily advance him
£40 or £50 if other Gentlemen would come into the proposal
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Letter Bk. IV
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& advance largely likewise to be repaid again in case more
than 330 Copies which I suppose will clear all Costs shall be
disposed of; otherwise Let the Subscribers suffer Loss in
proportion to the Sums which they may respectively subscribe,
so Mr Bacon will depend entirely upon an extraordinary or
good Sale for his Reward or Recompence. Not doubting but
His Ldp would be forward to promote so useful a Work I
shall be glad if You will communicate to him my proposal &
if he approves thereof, permit me to hope that You likewise
will contribute to its being carried into Execution, or should
any other Scheme be by His Ldp or you thought , more
eligible Be pleased to advise me. I am with gt Regard &c.
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p. 163
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