306 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.

Letter Bk. IV

[Sharpe to Hamersley.]

Copy of 2^d Letter to M^r Hamersley Dated Annapolis 28^th
May 1 766 transmitted by the Snow Charles Capt Pearson
via Bristol.
D^r Sir
I have long wished for an Opportunity of transmitting by a
Vessel bound hence directly to London Copies of the Acts of
Assembly that passed at our last Session that they may be
presented for His Ldp's Approbation but no such Opportu-
nity will I am told offer itself these three Weeks, I now write
therefore by a Vessel that is on her Departure for Bristol to
return you Thanks for the several Letters you were so kind
as to favour me with the 20^th & 26^th of Decem^r last, the 20^th &
25^th of February & 1^st of March by which I perceive there was
a very great Opposition in the House of Lords especially to
the Motion for Repealing the Stamp Act & that the Commer-
cial Interest of Great Britain & not the Claim or Clamour of
the Colonies has been urged as the sole or at least the most
proper Reason to be given for the Repeal. You'll see by the
inclosed Gazette that a Copy of the Act has already reached
us whereupon all the Offices are opened & I hope there is
now an End to the Disturbances & Discontent the Stamp Act
had occasioned for tho I perceive by the Northern Papers that
there are Men both in New England & New York who deny
the Right of the British Legislature to bind the Colonies by any
Laws whatever I do not think such Doctrine is agreeable to
the Sense of these Southern Colonies. Tho I shall decline
sending with the Great Seal affixed Copies of the Acts of
Assembly that passed last Session until I have an Opportu-
nity of transmitting them directly to London I will now send
you Copies of them as printed & stitched together for the
use of the Province so that His Ldp. might consider them, I
shall likewise send you a Copy of the Lower House Journal
& a Pamphlet that has been since published here on the Sub-
ject of the Shilling p^r Hhd Fourteen pence a Ton & Fines &
Forfeitures which have as I presume you know for a great
many years been Bones of Contention here, the Lower House
having almost at every session denied by a Resolve His Ldps
Right to those Revenues & having in the late Dispute about
the Clerk of the Council insisted that if he was to be paid at
all for his Service he ought to be satisfied by an Allowance
out of the said Fines or Duties. As the Pamphlet is but just
published there is no knowing as yet how far it will convince
the Members of the Lower House that the Claim they have
set up is unreasonable but I think it ought to have that Effect
& do not despair of the Journals being passed with the usual

Allowance to the Clerk of the Council when we have liberty