Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 517

hath passed will dwell so much on His Ldps mind as to
detract in the least from his happiness. The Day after M^r
Hackman arrived I spoke to both M^r Allen & M^r Dan^l Dulany
concerning him informing them in what manner & by whom
he was recommended to Me to be provided for & telling them
that unless One or other could employ him as a Clerk I should
be at a loss for the present how to dispose of him. The
Answer M^r Allen gave me was that he had retained as a
Clerk on a certain Salary by the year a young Man from
Virginia a near Relation of M^r Jordans who had earnestly
recommended him & that he had no occasion for any other
Clerk or Person to assist him in the Business of the Agency,
& M^r Dulany told me that it was not in his power to provide
for him at this time in any manner whatever, nor do I see how
he could unless by employing him as a meer Writer or Copyist
in his Office under the Direction of another which would be
but a poor Affair the Register or Chief Clerk being under
Engagement to find all under Clerks, he gets as many as he
wants at very low Wages : Upon this I sent to one M^r
Jennings a Lawyer in this place who I understood from M^r
Hackman had heretofore received Instruction from his Father
& asked him if he would receive the young Man into his
Office as a Clerk to study the Law under his Direction &
Care in Case I would pay for his Board & on his Consenting
to do so I on my part have engaged to pay at the Rate of
£35 p^r Ann for his Board & by this measure if he has any
Genius & will apply himself he might at the End of four years
become a Practitioner in our County Courts & be able if he is
clever to get much more by his profession than the Income of
any Office His Ldp can bestow on him & if on Tryal he should
be found to want Capacity or not apply himself with sufficient
diligence His Ldp might when he comes to Age & has
acquired some knowledge of the Country & of Business order
such Office to be conferred on him as he may be qualified for
& a County Clerkship will probably by that time become
vacant. I need not I suppose tell you that of those Clerkships
there are only fourteen which in case of good Behaviour are
enjoyed for Life notwithstanding the Commission runs only
during pleasure & the Secretary considers them as being
entirely at his Disposal & I remember that when I sometime
ago solicited M^r Calvert & afterwards yourself at the Instance
of M^r Leeds Clerk of Talbot County for Leave for him to
resign in favour of his Son in Law you both referred me to
M^r Dulany in Consequence whereof M Leeds dropt all farther
Application & as it happened twas lucky he did for his Son in
Law is since dead. As to the Sheriffs Offices they are you
know by our Act of Assembly tenable for three years only &

Letter Bk. V