Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 519

here endeavoured to gratify his wishes & gone greater lengths
to serve him than I would have gone to oblige the most dear
Friend of my own, if therefore I am supposed to have paid too
little Regard to His Ldps Recommendation of him I have
indeed been very unlucky & doubt not but it will appear on
Enquiry that I have rather run into the other Extreme, & I
solemnly declare to you that if I had been circumstanced &
recommended as M^r Allen was when he came hither I would
not have made the Points he has done but have been content
with an Income of £300 stg a year till a better Parish should
have fallen, & I wish he may not in the End be a Loser by
pursuing different Measures as well as create Enemies to him-
self & His Ldp's Govern^t The Inhabitants of S^t James's are
I understand determined to oppose his Receipt of the Thirty
p^r poll & to bring the question before a Jury & the Inhabi-
tants of All Saints will probably follow the Example unless he
will produce to the Vestry his Induction & officiate there in
Person, I wish therefore you would consider what Steps are to
be taken in case the Juries should bring in general Verdicts
against him or against the Sheriffs should they pay him for as
the Cause will be made a popular one & prejudices are already
raised against M^r Allen there is no knowing how far the
passions of a Jury may carry them. As the Value of the
Commissarys Office & of most of the other Offices depends on
the price of Tob^o it is impossible for any person but the
Possessor to ascertain it precisely but as Tob^o now sells very
high I apprehend it must be worth at least £500 stg clear, &
the Income arising from the Secretarys Office is 1 suppose
more considerable otherwise those Gentlemen who enjoyed it
before M^r Dulany would not have so readily paid out of it
£200 a year which it was once in M^r Calverts power to have
increased ; If His Ldp or you should be of Opinion that those
two Offices & the other Offices held by others of the Family
are too much to have fallen to their share I beg it might be
remembered that I long ago particularly in 1761 & 1762
desired the possible Consequences of throwing too much
power into the hands of one Family might be considered &
that the Preference given them afterwards on several Occa-
sions pointed out to Me as it were whom His Ldp chose to
destinguish & indeed the particular Respect shewn to M^r D.
Dulany by M^r Jordan while he staid here & by M^r Allen till
the Rupture in Novem^r was enough to deter me from con-
ferring the Commissary's Office on any other Person than
him who now possesses it & who indeed was the only Person
that you ever mentioned as recommended to succeed M^r
Goldsborough after you were advised of that Gentleman's
being in a declining State of Health. That I may not commit

Letter Bk. V