506 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.

Letter Bk. III

[Sharpe to Hillsborough.]

To Lord Hillsborough. Annapolis 22^d June 1768
My Ld
The Letter your Ldp was pleased to transmit to me the 21^st
of April together with a Copy of one from the Speaker of the
House of Representatives of the Colony of Massachusetts
having been by me received the 20^th of this month when the
Assembly of this Province happened to be sitting I imme-
diately communicated the Contents to the Lower House hoping
that when His Majesty's Sentiments with regard to the Step
taken by the Massachusetts Assembly were so explicitly made
known to them they would drop any Design they may have
adopted in Consequence of the Letter from Boston, but the
Result was to my great Mortification just the reverse of what
I wish't it to be, for after ruminating upon my Message more
than a Day they presented to Me this Afternoon the inclosed
Address whereupon an End was put to the Session & I should
have immediately dissolved the Assembly had not Experience
taught me that no Step is so likely to attach the People to
their Representatives as a sudden Dissolution & that on a
new Election instantly following None are so likely to be left
out as those Members who appeared averse to violent Measures.
The Time to which the Assembly now stands prorogued is the
first Week of October but I shall not permit them to convene
at soonest before next Spring so that if your Ldp pleases to
order it they may be dissolved before another Session, at least
they will have leisure to consider cooly the Consequences that
may attend their bringing on the Province His Majesty's
Resentment I am —

Letter Bk. V

[Sharpe to Hamersley.]

Copy of Letter to M^r Hamersley. Dated Annapolis 22^d
June 1768.
Dr Sr
Having an Opportunity to transmit a Letter by a Ship
bound hence to Liverpool I embrace it to inform you that I
have this Day put an End to the Session of Assembly which
as you would learn from my Letter of the 27 Ult had met
here the 24^th of that Month. During the Session Business
seems to have been carried on with the greatest harmony &
twenty nine Bills have been pass't into Laws. I may perhaps
be now able to send you inclosed the Titles of them by which
you may in some measure judge of their Scope or Design, &
by Captain Hanrick who will be very soon ready to sail from
Potuxent for London I will write more fully to you concern-