Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 179

[Sharpe to Board of Trade.]

To The Lords of Trade. Annapolis the 18^th of Oct^r 1764
My Lords
Having received Your Lordships Letter bearing Date the
10^th of July last also the Plan for the future Management of
Indian Affairs & Copies of Letters which were therewith
transmitted I now do myself the honour to inform Your Lord-
ships that the plan in general is in my Opinion well calculated
to preserve the peace which has been lately made with the
Indian Nations & Tribes in North America & at the same
time secure to His Majesty's Subjects the Advantages which
they may reasonably expect to receive from entering into
Commerce with those people, & tho it should be thought
inconsistent with the free Spirit of Trade for the Commissa-
ries to be vested with a power of settling Tariffs of Trade
or in any degree to fix or regulate the Prices of the Com-
modities which may be sold to or bought of the Indians I
apprehend that as the Trade will be confined to particular
places under the Eye of a Commissary impowered to take
Cognizance of fraudulent Proceedings the Indians will not be
liable to Impositions & that every Trader will find it his Interest
to use them well & trade with them on as low Terms as he
can afford. As I am of Opinion that if the Duties which it
might be thought proper to impose on the Trade towards
defraying the Expence of the Plan were directed to be paid
on the Exportation of the Skins & Furs considerable quantities
might be shipped off clandestinely & that by reason of a
heavy Duty on the Exportation of such Articles the Manufac-
tures of Peltry & Furs in these Colonies would have Advan-
tage which Your Lordships may not intend them I should
think the Duties may be collected after this manner. Let the
Bond to be given by Persons obtaining Lycence to trade be
recorded with the Lycence & a Transcript of such Record be
made Evidence in any Court of Law throughout America:
then by one of the Regulations to be established the Trader
might be forbid to bring away from the Truck house or place
where he shall have traded any Furs or Peltry untill he shall
have given upon Oath to the Commissary there residing an
Account of the quantity of peltry & of Fur by him purchased
during the Season, upon rendering which Account the Com-
missary should give him a Certificate thereof & also send a
Copy to the Governor or His Majesty's Receiver General
residing in the Province where the Traders Lycence was
obtained & Bond given & by this means the Duties might be
secured & recovered under such Bonds. I am also of Opinion
that it might be an advantage to the Traders if a Clause was

Letter Bk. III