254 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.

Letter Bk. IV

not afterwards proceed to any other Business, tho I am indeed
apprehensive the People here will ee'r long insist upon all the
Courts & Officers doing Business as usual without regard to
the Stamp Act, if the Inhabitants of the Northern Colonies set
the Example which it is said they will very soon do. You
will see by the inclosed Phil^a Gazettes that the Printers there
go on as usual, as indeed they do in all the Northern Govern-
ments & on the Inst a paper was published here also
under the Title of an Apparition of our late Gazette purely
as it should seem to communicate to the Continent what I
have above related of the Proceeding of our Frederick County
Justices, & to give an Account of a Holliday the populace
made there on that Occasion. For my own part I know not
by what means a Stop is to be put either to such proceedings
or Publications for no Body except the Governor & a few
Officers think any Regard due to the Law, & any Opposition
they could make against the Multitude would serve only to
encourage them. About three Weeks ago arrived here His
Majestys Sloop the Hawke Capt Browne with a Parcel of
Stamp't paper destined for this Province, upon the Captains
Desiring me to inform him how he might dispose of it, I
recommended it to him agreeable to the Advice of the Council
to keep it on board till Orders should come from England
concerning it, which he will do & remain with us I expect the
whole Winter unless Ld Colvil should send him Orders to the
Contrary. The Person who was appointed to distribute the
Stamps here is still in the Province of N York where it seems
he was lately beset & compelled to swear that he will never
act in the Office conferr'd on him. I am —

[Sharpe to Baltimore.]

To Lord Baltimore Annapolis 24^th December 1765
My Lord
Having an Opportunity of writing by a Ship bound from
this place to London & just ready to sail I embrace it to give
your Ldp an Account of such material Occurrences as have
happened here since I did myself the honour to address a
Letter to your Ldp the 11^th of last Month. I then intimated
to your Ldp that the Assembly was sitting & they did not
break up before last Friday Evening, for a good deal of time
was spent in examining & as it were finally settling the Books
of the Paper Currency Office & burning the Bills of Credit
which had been issued under the Acts of 1732 & 1756. The
Duty of Fifteen pence a Hhd on Tobacco that hath been col- .
lected under the former Act for the purpose of sinking the
Paper Money then emitted having with the Interest accrued