Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 113

Ground in Annapolis for an Office: nevertheless I find that
his prejudices against some of the Gentlemen nominated to
inspect his Accounts are too strong to be overcome & I believe
he will sooner submit to be displaced than conform to that
Article of His Ldp's Instructions. As in order to contract his
Business he seems also inclined to resign the Office of Treasurer
of the Eastern Shore which indeed is of little Value I intend
after the next Session of Assembly to offer it to His Brother
in Law M^r Holliday for I do not see how it will otherwise be
in my power to shew my Regard for that Gentleman since I
have no Objection whatever to M^r Bordley's resigning the
Attorney General's Office to young M^r Key immediately after
the End of the next Session of Assembly. Was either M^r
Holliday or M^r Key to be appointed before that time their
Seats in the Lower House would be declared vacant at the
opening of the Session & it would probably be three or four
Weeks before they could be re-elected. As I think you must
be satisfied by what I have already said that Offices are want-
ing to gratify the Desires of such Persons among us as think
they have reason to expect them rather than Persons to fill the
Offices I do not suppose you will choose to encourage Colonel
Barnes to return hither with any such View as you mention:
before he went hence with an Intention to commence Tobacco
Merchant We were on very good Terms & was he to return
I suppose we should continue so, but as I understand the
Conversation you had with M^r Dulany was after you desired
my opinion of Col^o Barnes I presume you had yourself dropt
all thoughts of appointing him to the Agency & therefore
think it unnecessary to trouble you any more on that matter.
I have agreeable to Your Desire turned to His Ldp's Instruc-
tions dated the 16^th of Dec^r 1756 relative to the Revenue Act
of 1704 & find that the several Acts in that Instruction men-
tioned were made at the times stated in such Instructions, & as
to the Reasoning thereupon I do not for my part see any
Deficiency. In answer to your question concerning the Tun-
nage Act of 1661 I am to inform you that the Proceedings &
Determination of the Privy Council in the Reign of King
William with respect to that Act confirming the Tunnage Duty
to the Lord Proprietary is recorded at large in one of our
Council Books. As the Bill you speak of entituled "An Addi-
tional Supplementary Act to the Act entituled An Act for
quieting Possessions &c. never came to the Upper House I do
not know what was the purport of it, but you may be confident
that if it should be offered & have a Tendency to weaken His
Ldp's Right to Alienation Fines or to deprive him of any other
Right it will not meet with my Assent or Countenance. The
Paper Currency Act made in 1733 will expire in Sept^r 1764 so

Letter Bk. IV