Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 385

accordingly they talk't the Affair over & then came to the
Resolutions you will see in the inclosed Copy of their Minutes
in pursuance of which I am to desire you to act as Agent or
Solicitor on their behalf & to inform them at what Expence
on their part you apprehend the Dispute can be brought to a
Hearing & Determination before the King in Council, what
Steps it will be necessary for them to take & what Powers or
Instructions to send you or the Council you may retain on
this Occasion. In the mean time the Gentlemen appointed to
collect Materials & draw up a State of the Dispute subsisting
between the two Houses will proceed in what they have under-
taken & as soon as they are ready to make a Report I shall
convene All the Members of the Council again to consider
thereof & give it their sanction before it is transmitted to you.
I was in hopes I should have been enabled by this Time to
send you a Copy of the Journal of the Proceedings in the
Lower House during the last Session & also Copies of all the
Laws that were then passed, but the Press having been several
Weeks employed in striking off the Bills of Credit (which are
now put in Circulation) neither the Laws nor Journal are yet
printed but you may expect to receive them by a Ship that is
expected to sail hence in about a Month. That you may
however see on what Bottom the Lower House rest their
Complaint or Appeal to the Crown I shall now transmit you a
Copy N^o 1 of their Committees Report to the House during
the Session & the Proceedings of the House thereon, also a
Transcript containing an Account of the proceedings of a
Committee they had appointed to meet here during the Recess
of Assembly vested with full power & Authority (if a Resolve
of the House could confer it) to rummage all the publick
Offices that of the Privy Council not excepted without asking
Leave of me or any One else, which had the Government
submitted to or connived at a Precedent would have been set
for a Standing Committee in all times hereafter during the
Recess of Assemblies, for a Pretence for such Committees
being appointed would never be wanting. The Council
therefore foreseeing the Inconveniencies that might arise from
the Officers paying any Regard to the Demands of any
Persons acting under the Denomination of a Committee were
of Opinion that a Refusal should be given them immediately
upon their applying to the Register of the Secretarys Office
for any Books of which he had the Custody & agreeable to
such Opinion M^r Dulany wrote them the Letters of which the
inclosed Transcript N^o 2 contains true Copies, whereupon the
Committee Men returned home having first agreed to transmit
authenticated Copies of such Letters to their Agent M^r Garth
who will perhaps be desired to produce them as a Proof that

Letter Bk. IV