510 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.

Letter Bk. V

[Sharpe to Baltimore.]

Copy of a Letter to Lord Baltimore. Annapolis 23^d June
1768 transmitted by Capt Purdye.
My Ld
Since I did myself the honour to address a Letter to your
Ldp the 15^th of last Month I have wrote two or three in a
hurry to M^r Hamersley advising him of some Occurrences
with which I presume he will acquaint your Ldp particularly
with my having upon the Death of M^r Bacon inducted M^r
Allen into All Saints Parish in Frederick County & with an
Account of the Opposition that was made by some of the
Parishioners to his taking Possession of it. It being necessary
that he should continue to reside here while as Agent he has
the management of your Ldps pecuniary Affairs he has
engaged a Curate to officiate in his Parish but Threats it

seems are thrown out that unless he resides there & actually

officiates in person the Question whether he is entitled to the
Thirty p^r poll under the Act of Assembly shall be discussed
before a Jury (of the County) who in this part of the World
are too apt to think themselves competent Judges of the Law
as well as of Fact. I hope however that the Peoples Passions
will cool before the time of Payment arrives & that matters
will not be carried by his Adversaries such great Lengths, for
if the point of payment should be contested & a Jury enter-
taining strong prejudices against him should be persuaded
by artful Lawyers to give a general Verdict against the pay-
ment I know not by what means Relief could be obtained, &
Juries as I have already intimated have sometimes given very
extraordinary Verdicts. The Publications with which the
Maryland Gazette was for some time filled & the bad Conduct
of some among the Clergy seem to have made them & their
Thirty p^r poll more thought of lately than ever they were
before since the Law was made for the Support of an Estab-
lished Clergy in the Province. To this having been the Topick
of Conversation & some Hints having been dropt of M^r Allens
being desirous to introduce some sort of Episcopal or Commis-
sarial Jurisdiction here might I suppose be attributed the Birth
of a Bill that was framed last Session in the Lower House &
after passing the Upper with an Amendment of a nine months
suspending Clause was by me laid aside in order that I may
consider it at leisure & have time to know your Ldps Senti-
ments thereon, but concerning this Bill & the other Transac-
tions of the Assembly 1 must decline writing fully till the next
Opportunity, & at present proceed to inform your Ldp of a
matter I have not touched on in either of my Letters to M^r
Hamersley. Your Ldp will be pleased to observe then that