392 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.

Letter Bk. IV

received & presented so opportunely, whatever Occasion
might have been taken from the Proceedings of the Boston
People & the Assembly of New York to represent all the
Colonies as ready to set up for Independancy I am persuaded
few People here entertain such a Thought & I can assure you
that those Assemblies had very few Advocates in this part of
the Continent. I delivered the Power of Attorney from the
late Anthony Rhodes's Sisters to M^r Ridout who will endeavour
to transact the Business entrusted to him with all possible
Dispatch & I shall either by Capt Love's or some other early
Ship send His Ldp two Pipes of the oldest Wine I ordered
hither on his Account. When Col^o Lloyd last attended the
Commissioners we went through & examined his principal
Accounts but could not close them finally by reason some
Returns of Alienation Fines & of Fines & Forfeitures could
not be exhibited & some Arrears of Quit-Rents were still due
from the Farmers, We are however to meet again the latter
End of this Month in order to finish that Business & where
Suits are brought or Compulsory Means are to be used we
shall I suppose Report the Sum due & leave it to be accounted
for by the Agent as soon as the same shall be recovered in
due Course of Law. Having in pursuance of His Ldps
Instructions advertised the Sale of Ann Arundel Mannour to
be as on the first of this Month M^r Dulany M^r Jordan and I
attended at the place appointed & ordered some of the Tene-
ments to be set up at from Twenty to Twenty five Shillings
p^r 100 Acres but no Person would bid tho many of the Ten-
ants & some others were present. We gave the Tenants
notice therefore that since they declined bidding for their
respective Tenements the Mannour would be soon set up in
Lots of four or five hundred Acres that it might be worth the
while of Gentlemen above their Rank to purchase, but I am
afraid that it will never sell for near its Value as few People
choose to buy Land of which they cannot have the immediate
possession & Use, & from this they could not till the Leases
expire receive any Benefit farther than the Annual Reserved
Rent, which would not be legal Interest for their Money. As
I intend to return hither by the Way of Baltimore Town from the
Meeting of the Commissioners at Chester the 16^th Inst I will
then make Enquiry after the M^r Bury said to keep School in
that place & if I find he is worthy & I can do him any Service
I will not fail to do so. The Person appointed by Col^o Lloyd
to act as his Deputy in this Place on the Death of M^r Ross is
Major Jenifer whom I sometime ago appointed one of the
Justices of the Provincial Court & on whose behalf I likewise
took the liberty to write to you. The Vacant Land contiguous
to M^r Middleton's & the Prison in this City of which you