venture back to the Province. You will I presume hear
before this reaches you what Outrages have been committed
in some of the New England Governments where it seems 'tis
almost a Capital Offence to speak in favour of the Measures
lately pursued in Great Britain with respect to the Colonies &
indeed a Person would run a great Risk by doing so even
here & therefore those who disapprove of such a violent
Opposition are obliged in prudence to be silent. Since the
Affair I mentioned to you in my last Letter we have not had
any Disturbance in this Province & I hope shall have no other
nor have I any thing farther at present worthy notice to com-
municate to His Ldp to whom I beg you will present my
Duty & therefore shall only add that I remain with the
greatest Regard Sir &c.
[Sharpe to Baltimore.]
To Lord Baltimore. the 3d of October 1765
My Lord
In a Letter I took the Liberty to write to Your Ldp the 10th
of last Month I advised your Ldp of some violent Proceedings
of the Populace in several of the New England Governments
& also in this Place on Account of the Act of Parliament that
was made last Session for imposing a Stamp Duty on the
British Colonies. The Reason of my troubling your Ldp at
this time is to inform you that during the Sitting of the Pro-
vincial Court all the Gentlemen of the Law & many others
from different parts of the Province several of them Members
of the Lower House represented to me that as Annapolis was
at length clear of the Small Pox it was the Universal Desire
of the people that their Representatives should have an Oppor-
tunity of meeting in Assembly before the time to which it
stood prorogued & that upon my Communicating such
Representation to the Gent, of the Council they advised me
to gratify the Wishes of the People by convening the Assembly
on the 23d of last Month. The Cause of their being so
anxious about the Assembly's Meeting was this, That of the
Province of the Massachusetts' Bay had by a Circular Letter
invited all the Assemblies of these Colonies to send a few
of their Members to New York on the First of this Month to
consult together & join on behalf of their respective Provinces
in a Memorial to the Legislature of Great Britain representing
how prejudicial the Acts of Parliament lately made must prove
in their Consequences both to the Colonies & the Mother
Country, & so earnestly did the Inhabitants of this Province
desire that some of their Representatives should be present
at such meeting that I am convinced the Members would have
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