a8o Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.

Passing a Law to Determine what only 5 out of 500 people
had ever doubted of, for the Commons Passed the Declaratory
Resolution without a Negative & in the Lords only 5 Divided
ag^st it.
The great Struggle upon the Repeal Law was at the 2^d &
3^d readings, but the former only produced a Division when
the Majority of the Lords present was 12 with the addition of
22 more gained upon calling in Proxys, together 34, in favor of
the Repeal. The Duke of York voted against it as did L^d
Mansfield, Lord Camden for it, & with him the Chancellor,
who, after having Roared so lustily, upon former occasions
that America must Submit, now thought proper to Change
his Note, Contenting himself with observing that, as the
Commons had Indicated their Intention not to Enforce the
Law, the Lords alone could not Effectuate it, & it was the
Commons who gave the Money, & not they. There was such
a concourse of Peers upon the Debate of these 2 days, that
they found it necessary in Mercy to themselves as well as
others, to exclude all Strangers: I must therefore refer your
Excellency to the Enclosed Protests for what Passed on one
side at least, and with them take my leave of this great business,
upon which I believe you have long been ready to Exclaim, as
well you may, Satis, jam satis.
These Bills are to be immediately followed by a 3^d of
Indemnity, in which the Commons have within these few
Days ordered "Provision to be made for making valid in Law
all Writings, Ingrossings, & Printings, wrote Ingrossed, or
Printed, in America, upon Paper Vellum or Parchment, not
Stamped according to Law, under proper restrictions " What
those are to be, your Excellency will soon see, when I send
you the Law, which shall be by the first opportunity after it is
Passed. But the Title of the Bill this day brought in, instead
of the words " under proper- restrictions" has Substituted the
words " upon Payment of certain sumes therein mentioned "
meaning, as I suppose, the proper Stamp Dutys, the Repeal
not taking place till i. May 1766.
They have likewise addressed his Majesty " to give direc-
tions to the Commissioners for Trade and Plantations to Pre-
pare and Lay before the House a Representation of the State
of the Trade and Manufactures, set up & Carried on in the
several American Colonies, as far as the same can be done
from the Books and Papers now in their Hands.
In Short they are proceeding upon that part of the Kings
Speech, which recommends to their further attention the con-
sideration of the Commercial Interests of the Colonies, & I
am told, the administration are prepared w^th some Resolutions
to be Proposed upon that head, particularly for allowing the