Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 457

[Rev. Bennet Alien to Sharpe.]

Nov. 25. 1767
Sir
Inclos'd I send your Excellency the Agreement of the vestry
of S^t James's to my holding that parish together with S^t Ann's
upon my entering into articles to officiate duly there by myself
or a regular curate. Upon sounding the vestry of this parish
yesterday I found so much opposition from M^r Brice Worth-
ington alone that I thought it prudent to postpone the ques-
tion without putting it to a vote. M^r Walter Dulany (tho' not
personally present) had started an objection to the Legality
of the thing by a wretched quibble upon the word adjacent
in Sect. 16. of the act of 1701. He said, he would be deter-
min'd by the opinion of council ; I brought him the inclos'd
opinion of M^r Paca, which he treated with great contempt.
He referr'd me to M^r Johnson, because, as I may well pre-
sume M^r Johnson had been heard to say, if it were possible to
start any objection or give any turn to the words of the Act
so as to prevent a Parson's holding two livings he should be
glad to do it. M^r Brice Worthington (as hard as Iron) being
one of the vestry, had I believe met with his Colleague M^r
Johnson, & tho' he seem'd to take the proposal in a favorable
light when I mention'd it a few days ago to him, he came
fraught with all the cavil that Sophistry and malice could
invent. M^r Walter Dulany took up the affair from a Self-
interested view ; that of getting M^r Addison's Friend M^r
Boucher here & annexing the School to the living, tho' M^r
Daken came here by his particular Solicitations couch'd in
the strongest terms of encouragement, who has been always
very assiduous in his attendance on the duty of the School.
M^r W. Dulany seems to murmur that your promise to M^r
Addison's friend should not have taken place of my Lord's
Recommendation of me. I observ'd this was making a direct
attack upon my Lord's right of Patronage. He went farther
& said that my Lord might provide for a friend without break-
ing the laws of the province. Such an aspersion, & from M^r
Walter Dulany too ! & was by his Lordship's particular favour
in Possession of two of the most lucrative places in the pro-
vince. How unjust, how cruel, how ungrateful ! To break
the laws of the Province was never my Lord's intention, your
Excellency's, or mine. I believe in my conscience, & it is the
opinion of every un-prejudic'd Gentleman I have spoke to,
that the spirit of the Law, & the intention of the Legislature
is strictly complied with in the present case in point of con-
venient nearness ; the boundaries of the parishes being within
four miles of each other, & the churches not only nearer
together than those of many contiguous parishes, but even

Original.