308 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.

Letter Bk. IV

him to bring or send us all the Plats & Rentals of them & all
the Counterparts of Leases in his Possession. In answer to
our Letter he has told us that by reason of his Wife's being
extreme ill he cannot just now attend here himself but that
he will send over his Clerk with his Accounts & the Vouchers
& other Papers w^ch we require, he has not however as yet

performed his promise we wrote to him therefore again this

Morning repeating & enforcing our Requisition & as soon as
he complies we shall proceed to the Execution of His Ldp's
Commission. As a great Number of People who had Suits
depending in the several Courts at the Time the Stamp Act
took place must by reason of the Courts Forbearance ever
since to proceed to Business & by the Offices being shut up
have suffered great Detriment unless an Act should pass for
the Relief of such Suitors the Council advised me to let the
Assembly meet at the Time to which they stood prorogued I
met them therefore the 8^th Inst & opened the Session with the
inclosed Speech, the two Houses having since that time pass't
the eight Bills of which I can at present send you only the
Titles I last Night put an End to the Session & prorogued
them to the 27^th of October next. During the Course of this
Session there was no Dispute or Contention at all between
the two Houses, but it is my Duty to embrace the earliest
Opportunity of informing His Ldp that when the Lower
House sent to the Upper a Bill for Lycencing & Regulating
Ordinaries or Publick Houses within this Province & I under-
stood the Members of the Upper House were inclined to pass
it with a few Amendments which I apprehended the Lower
House would agree to I laid before the Upper House the
Instruction His Ldp was pleased to send me the 7^th of Feb^ry
1765 restraining me from giving my Assent to any Law for
Regulating Ordinaries unless the Money to be paid for the
Lycences should be given to His Ldp or a Proviso inserted
in the Act suspending its Execution for eighteen Months from
the Time of its being pass't, but the Members of the Upper
House observing that His Ldp by the Instruction apprehended
They were for supporting his Claim to the Lycence Fines
Resolved thereupon to declare their Sentiments with respect
to that Matter which they have accordingly done in a Report
& Address that I shall herewith transmit to you: Had the
Lower House agreed to the Amendments proposed the Bill
would have pass't both Houses, in which Case It would have
remained with me to reject it, which I should have done &
shall do notwithstanding the Councils Opinion & Report if the
Bill is offered to me next Session unless His Ldp thinks
proper to give me any Instructions to the Contrary. If His
Ldp has already taken the opinion of any eminent Lawyer on