Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 63

provisions, for when upon receiving a similar Letter from the
Frontier some years ago my predecessor in the Governm^t
gave orders for these Indians being furnished with necessary
provisions on their passage thro our Frontier Settlements and
recommending it to the Assembly to reimburse the persons
who had victualled such Indians he could not prevail on the
Assembly to pay any Regard to his recommendation.
With the greatest regard I am Sir &c.
26^th June 1762

[Egremont to Sharpe.]

Whitehall 10^th July 1762
Sir,
Your Letter of the 25^th April has been laid before The
King ; And I have the Pleasure to inform you that His Maj-
esty is well satisfied of your Zeal for His Service, and that the
shameful Inaction of the Province under your Government
does not proceed from any Neglect on your Part, or from
your not having exerted every means in your Power to point
out to your Council & Assembly the just Displeasure, with
which The King must learn that His repeated Requisitions
have been render'd ineffectual in Maryland.
With regard to the very extraordinary Turn which the
Assembly give to the general Expressions in my Letter of the
12^th Dec^r by saying, That as "I had not in explicit Terms cen-
sured the Proceedings of either the Upper or the lower House
of Assembly, but only in general Words reprehended the
Province for not having granted Supplies, They did not con-
ceive the Censure expressed in my Letter applicable to Them-
selves, since They had several Times voted Supplies, &
framed Bills in Consequence of such Votes" I shall observe,
that the Censure, contained in my Letter, was intended for
any Part of the Legislature of Maryland, that had failed
shewing a due Obedience to His Majesty's Commands ; and
there can be little Difference between a direct Refusal to com-
ply with The King's Requisition, & clogging their seeming
Complyance with such Terms, as the Assembly know must
render it ineffectual ; The Opinion of His Majesty's Attorney
General is certainly no Law, but at the same Time, it must be
deemed a very respectable Foundation for the Governor and
Council to justify their Proceedings; and had the Assembly of
Maryland been animated with a due sense of their Duty to
their King and Country, and with a real Desire to contribute
their Share towards the Defence of the Rights and Posses-
sions of His Majesty's Subjects in North America, such an
Opinion would have been more than a sufficient Motive for

Original.