526 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.

Letter Bk.IlI

I beg leave to inform your Ldp that I am confident no Com-
plaint of that sort can have been made by any of the Officers
of His Majesty's Customs within this Province for had any
Obstruction been given them they would doubtless have them-
selves informed me, or I should have heard it from other Per-
sons, nor indeed do I think there is at present any Disposition
in the people here to deter them from doing their Duty or to
encourage any illicit Traders, if on any Occasion hereafter
either of the Officers should apply for or stand in need of my
Support or Assistance your Ldp may depend on my giving
them all the Assistance in my power. I am My Ld &c.

[Sharpe to Hillsborough.]

To Lord Hillsborough. Annapolis 12 Sept^r 1768
My Ld
I am favoured with your Ldp's Lett^r dated the 4^th July
advising me that in pursuance of His Majesty's pleasure you
should give constant Attendance in your place at the Board
of Trade & that as your Ldp should lay before that Board
such Matters arising out of my Correspondence with your
Ldp as might appear to be necessary for their Consideration
I need not be at the Trouble of transmitting to their Ldps
Duplicates of my Dispatches to your Office, but confine
Myself to one Channel of Correspondence conformable to the
Spirit & Intention of His Majesty's Order in Council of the
8^th of Aug^st 1766 & endeavour to act conformably to such
your Ldps Intimation & Directions. I am &c.

[Sharpe to Hillsborough.]

To Lord Hillsborough. Annapolis 12^th Sept^r 1768.
My Ld
I am now to acknowledge my Receipt of the Letter your
Ldp was pleased to write to Me the 11^th of July directing me
in case any thing should occur within this Province proper to
be the Subject of a Letter to your Ldp to transmit an Account
thereof by any Ship that might be ready to sail hence if such
Opportunity of Conveyance should offer before one by the
Packet from N York & in such Case to transmit by the Packet
a Duplicate of any Letter sent by a Merchant Ship & will not
fail to observe your Ldps Instructions whenever I may have
any thing worthy His Majesty's Notice or your Ldp's to com-
municate ; indeed I have at times already pursued that
Method when I thought a Letter by that means would be
safely & more expeditiously conveyed than by the Packet the
Distance between this Place & New York & the Difficulty