Correspondence of Governor Sharpe. 77

other Gentlemen who have since been distinguish't by Your
Ldp I some Years ago mentioned one M^r Philip Key a Gen-
tleman of considerable Fortune & good Abilities in S^t Mary's
County as a Person very proper & worthy in case of a Vacancy
to be made a Member of Your Ldp's Council. As the whole
Tenor of his Behaviour in the Lower House of Assembly
before he quitted & made room for his Son who is now a
Member of that House was such as became an honest & mod-
erate Man I am persuaded his Conduct in the Upper House
would be as unexceptionable, & therefore in case a Vacancy
should be made by the Death of any other Gentleman of the
Council two or three of whom (particularly M^r Thomas who is
now very ill) are old & infirm I should be glad to have Your
Ldp's permission & Instruction to introduce M^r Key to the
Council whenever there shall be a proper Opportunity. In
one of my Letters to M^r Calvert I have informed him that there
are at this time two Clergymen in the Province who have
desired to be recommended to Your Ldp's favour & seem by
their behaviour to endeavour to merit it. The Gentlemen's
Names are West & Lauder the one a Native of Virginia &
the other of Scotland. They have for some time officiated as
Curates in two small Parishes which were vacant in this
County & S^t Marys called Westminster & S^f Andrews, if it be
Your Ldp's pleasure to have them inducted to these or other
Parishes which may become vacant I flatter Myself the Parish-
ioners will have no reason to be displeased at their Promotion.
As I entertain hopes from what M^r Calvert is pleased to inti-
mate to me that Your Ldp will permit me to appoint D^r
Upton Scott Clerk of the Council in the stead of M^r Ross his
Father in Law (who is now far advanced in Years & as he
cannot read so distinctly & easily as he did some time ago
would willingly resign in his Son's favour) I take the Liberty
as I am confident that the Doctor is more agreable to the
Gentlemen of the Council in general than any other Person in
the Province to desire Your Ldp's Leave to appoint him, & to
let M^r Ross continue Naval Officer of Potuxent after he has
made good M^r Darnall's Deficiency until his Death shall
make room which it will perhaps in few Years for the
Advancement of M^r Plater or any other Gentleman whom
Your Ldp may think worthy of Your favourable Notice. By
the first Opportunity that offers after the several Naval
Officers shall have rendered an Account of the Duties by
them respectively collected before the 29^th Inst which I sup-
pose they will do within this Month I shall not fail to send
Your Ldp an Account of the One Shilling p^r Hhd down to
that time & to remit a Bill for the Ballance which on Settle-
ment of such Account may appear due to Your Ldp tho as

Letter Bk. IV