Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 543

another Letter says I should have gone farther than I have
already done by which words it is reasonably presumed that
he would have fill'd up the Commission with the Agency at
home, if he had not left it open in Compliment to your Excel-
lency ; he says M^r Allen was destined to the Commissarys
Office but that as well as the Naval Officer's Place was given
up to His Excellency's nomination. My Lord says the Instruc-
tions sent into the Governor will make you immediately happy
& proceeds with Assurances that he could not ask too much."
In a Letter I had address't to you the 27^th of Nov^r 1767 soon
after I had given M^r Allen an Appointment to S^t James's
Parish I had thus expresst Myself " In case His Ldp should
appoint M^r Allen to either of those Employments (viz the
Office of Agent or of Rent Roll Keeper) or to any other Civil
Office Be so kind as to intimate to Me whether he is still to
remain on the same Footing as at present with regard to the
two Livings & whether in case a better than either should
become vacant it is His Ldps pleasure that he should hold
That together with this for I am really at a loss what to do, nor
do I know what Lengths M^r Allen may desire me to go in order
to serve him to the Extent of His Ldps favourable Intention"
About the time that the Agents Commission was delivered to
M^r Allen you were pleased to write to me as follows "I have
laid before His Ldp the different Letters received from your
Excellency M^r Walter Dulany & M^r Allen relative to the Suc-
cession of the latter to S^t James's Parish & it gives him great
Uneasiness to find the Difficulties M^r Allen has to encounter
with & the little stead all His Ldp's Countenance stands him
in. His Ldp can never agree in Construing the Adjective
adjacent in the limitted Sense contended for against the very
Spirit of the Law, & as to the Vestries he can only regret the
Loss of that power which is already got into their hands &
desires it may be remembered as a Warning never to encrease
it either by splitting Parishes or in any other Mode the least
derogatory of his just Rights, he has been advised to exer-
cise his Prerogative in granting M^r Allen a Dispensation to
hold the Two Livings, but rather wishes to see the Business
accomodated in an easier Way & not to push things to
extremities when he has the Remedy in his own hands. That
Remedy is a Secular Employ which His Ldp requires &
expects M^r Allen be immediately put in possession of, & if
none more proper offers that he be appointed to the Office of
Rent Roll Keeper when vacant. A Similitude in their Studies
has much endeared him to His Ldp, nor will he be solliciting
or quibling with Vestries to provide for the Man he regards
when he has it in his own power to do it by adding a Civil Office
to the Church M^r Allen already holds ; he means to provide

Letter Bk. V