Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 215

the Reduction at once from Ten to Six p^r Cent is so great as
to deter any Persons from offering to farm the Rents which
I believe will be the Case, perhaps Eight p^r Cent on the
Receipt of several Counties join'd together might tempt some
Persons to engage, at least a Tryal might be made if your
Ldp thinks proper. From Time to Time ever since your Ldp
required the Keepers of the Rent Rolls to make out &
transmit perfect Rent Rolls of the several Counties with
References to the Records in the manner prescribed I have
called on & pressed them to proceed therein with all possible
Dispatch which they have as often promised to do, but say
that the necessity they are under in order to make References
thereto of examining the Records of the Provincial & Land
Offices Leaf by Leaf takes up so much time that it is near a
years work to finish the Rent Roll of one County nevertheless
that besides the six already transmitted they have now four
others almost ready which they expect to have finished tran-
scribed & examined by the Judges of the Land Office time
enough to be sent by some of the Ships that are now loading
here. In answer to what M^r Calvert says of your Ldps Dis-
satisfaction at finding that no Office is yet built at Annapolis
for the Reception & as a Repository for the Annual Accounts
of your Revenue, Counterparts of Leases, Platts of Mannours,
Rent Rolls and other Books & Papers relative to your Ldp's
Income here, I can only say that I have very often urged the
Agent to have a proper House built for the purpose, but tho
he always when spoke to promises to do so, he does nothing
therein, nor will he be prevailed on to pursue your Ldps
Instruction pointing out to him in precise Terms a Rule for
his transacting the Agents Business & settling his Accounts
here annually for Examination, as 1 have told M^r Calvert in
many Letters which I wrote to him about Provincial Affairs
during the time that your Ldp was on your Travels. The
Truth is as I have often said that it is impossible for a Person
who has such a Multiplicity of Business of his own to mind &
so large an Estate to manage to give so much Attention as he
ought to your Ldp's Affairs especially when he lives at a great
distance from hence where most of the Business must neces-
sarily be done. It was indeed unlucky that a Person so
circumstanced should have been appointed Agent & I ques-
tion but it would have been better even for him to have
declined the Office as it must certainly take up some time &
Attention which might be well employed about the Manage-
ment of his own large Estate, but I am apt to think he will of
his own Accord never resign the Agency & that he would be
chagrin'd was he to be deprived of it without the Offer of
some other Office, & as M^r Calvert hinted to me in one of his

Letter Bk. IV