152 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe,

Letter Bk. IV

fair Impression it must I think appear a little odd to Courts
there to see papers from hence produced there under a Seal
which any Body might by reason of its making so bad an
Impression on the. Wax easily counterfeit. Besides a Great
Seal as large as that at present used, there should I think be
one about the Size of a Crown Piece lodged in the Chancery
Office for Sealing Writs for there seems to be some Impro-
priety I think in affixing to such Process a Seal rather larger
than the Paper. In my Letter dated the 28^th of Decem^r I
informed you that a Bill had during the late Session of
Assembly been sent to the Upper House for the Establish-
ment of a College in this Town & for appropriating towards
the Support of the Masters a Sum of Money to be raised
annually by the Imposition of a Fine on ordinary Lycences.
The Bill itself was voluminous containing not only what
immediately related to the Establishment & Regulation of the
proposed College but also the whole Ordinary Lycence Act
excepting the Clauses by which the Lycence Fines were then
otherwise applied, but I now send you in a seperate Sheet the
Substance of the Bill that was now offered & also Copies of
the Messages that passed between the two Houses thereupon,
As almost every Body seemed desirous to have a College or
publick Seminary of Learning founded here Endeavours were
used by some Members to bring the Upper House into a
Conference on the Bill but it was waved for that time & the
Bill referred for farther Consideration however as I doubt not
but it will be revived again next Session & vigorously pushed
by the Lower House while there is a Majority even in the
Upper House that think the Ordinary Lycence Fines could
not be applied to a better purpose, I do not know but it
might fall to my share to throw the Bill under the Table on
Account of His Ldp's Claim to the Lycence Fines, wherefore
I hope you will consider this Affair attentively & if you see it
in a light at all different from that in which it has hitherto
appeared to you, you will not I flatter myself delay to send
me farther Instructions: & particularly I should be glad to
know whether in Case I should be obliged to reject a College
Bill or any other on Account of the Application of Ordinary
Lycence Fines you would have me signify to the Assembly
my Reason for taking such a Step. If the House which was
begun & planned for the Residence of a Governor & which
was by the Bill in question directed to be finished for the Use
of the College Masters is not soon covered in & fitted up I
believe the Walls will be scarcely worth preserving & as the
Assembly have now taken it into their heads that it would
serve for a College I am afraid they never will agree to finish
the Building for the use for which it was originally intended