Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 499

Board unless he would become subservient to the humour of
that Family? These Considerations determined me to appoint
M^r Ridout in Col^o Tasker's Stead as soon as the Colo^s
Friends had performed his funeral Obsequies being at that
time in hopes that as My Lord had before given me Leave to
introduce M^r Ridout to the Council His Ldp & you would also
confirm my Appointment. Soon after this Transaction I was
obliged as you may remember to go over the Bay to meet the
Pennsylvania Commissioners & it being agreed by us at New-
castle that we would go thence down to make the Surveyors
begin to run from the Middle Point of the Line that was run
from Fenwix's Island in 1751 I did not return home till late in
Dec' Within a few Days afterwards All the Gentlemen in
Town except M^r D Dulany(who had returned from the North-
ward a few Days before I went over the Bay) his Brother
Walter who had desired to be Secretary, & M^r Wolstenholme
who is as it were at their Devotion, paid me a Visit as had
been usual with them on similar Occasions to bid me welcome
back to Annapolis, & tho I gave M^r Dulany several Invitations
to my I louse during the Winter when other Gentlemen of the
Town were to dine or spend an Evening with me & desired
him by M^r Ross to attend at three or four Councils which I
was obliged to hold on receiving Intelligence of the late King's
Death & on other Occasions yet he always declined coming,
& when the Annapolis Company of Militia commanded by D^r
Steuart was ordered to appear under Arms on the Day when
His present Majesty's Accession was proclaimed in this City
M^r Walter Dulany having been many years a Lieut^l in it was
pleased to resign his Commission, Such Marks of Disrespect
as I have mentioned to a Governor from a Gentleman who

held one of the first offices in the Government were not you
may be assured long unnoticed, nay the Gentleman himself
took Care that it should be no Secret, in order as it now seems
to me that if he succeeded in the Application which he had
then without my knowledge made to you his Friends & De-
pendants may be the better able to persuade others that he
had carried his Point in opposition to me & that consequently
his Interest with His Ldp & Yourself is superiour to mine, I
cannot I say help thinking that this was his View in behaving
after such a manner, & it would I presume be needless to tell
you what Conclusions have been drawn from my receiving
peremptory Instructions (as it hath been most industriously
reported throughout the Province) to appoint M^r Dulany your
Deputy; It is also said that he hopes to effect still something
more before he returns again from England where I suppose
you will see him before the End of the Summer, as he has
signified to me that he intends to embark some time next