180 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.

Letter Bk.III

inserted in the Act of Parliament impowering a Person con-
cerned in the Indian Trade to sue in either of these Colonies
any other Indian Trader on Account of Contracts made in the
Indian Country or at any of the Truck houses or Posts of
Trade to a greater Value than Ten Pounds sterling & also
impowering the Courts of Justice in either of these Colonies
to take Cognizance of Criminal Actions or at least of Capital
Offences committed at any such Places. As it is not likely
that the Punishment inflicted by our Laws for Perjury would
be so terrible to Persons living in the manner the Indians live
as to Men who are Members of a Civilized State & who are
by such Punishments rendered infamous especially as it is
very common to see Indians without Ears or Noses or at least
very much torn & mangled, I submit it to Your Lordships
Consideration whether in case they are to be admitted as Wit-
nesses in our Courts of Law (which however Quakers & some
other Sectaries principled against taking Oaths are not in
Criminal Cases) close Imprisonment for a long time in case of
their being convicted of giving false Evidence would not be a
more proper Punishment to be inflicted on Indians who are
impatient of Confinement than the Penalties prescribed by our
Laws for such kind of Offences. Having thus communicated
to Your Lordships in Obedience to Your Commands what
occurred to me upon considering the Contents of Your Lord-
ships Plan & the Letters therewith sent for my perusal I
humbly submit the same to Your Lordships & am with the
greatest Respect
Your Lordships most obed. humb. Sv^t

[Sharpe to Halifax.]

To The Earl of Hallifax. Annapolis the 20^th Oct^r 1764.
My Lord
Having lately received Your Lordship's Letter dated the
I I^th of August last relative to the Measures concerting by His
Majesty's Post Master General for the Establishment of a
Regular Post & by that means for the safe & speedy Convey-
ance of Letters throughout these Colonies I do myself the
honour to inform Your Lordship that Ferries are already
established upon every River in this Province where the
Roads cross them & that attendance is constantly given at
them so that there is no Danger of the Riders being detained
at such Ferries. The only Offices which are at present estab-
lished in this Province for the Reception of Letters are on the
main Road which leads thro this place between Philadelphia
& Virginia, but I am inclined to think that if a Post Office was
to be opened at some Central Place in each of the fourteen