512 Correspondence of Gov. Horatio Sharpe, 1754-1765.

stood the matter & wo^d acquaint them when rec^d On this
affair you have His Lord^ps directions in his Instructions to
you Novemb^r 27^th last, it is hoped will perfect this affair to

my Lord. He desires the Earliest acco^t for his answer to

the parties here Claimants great care must be taken of the
Copy of the Act of Rebellion sent to Maryland as occasion
may be had for it here & if a copy of that in the Province
will serve all purposes there, it will be best to return that
sent, If not a Copy of that, return'd Authenticated.

I have had another Summons from the Lords Commiss^rs
of Trade & Plantation concerning the Act passed by his
Majesty's Colony of Virginia in 1752 for Erecting a Light
House at Cape Henry. Their Lord^ps desired to hear if I
had any thing to offer upon it. I said Lord Baltimore's Ob-
jection to the Act was, if the Act from the Gen^l Tenor of it
is intended to Effect Him as Proprietor of Maryland & the
Province by a Law of Virginia, they asked Whether a Light
House at the Cape wo^d not be of Utility & advantage in
Navigation to Maryland? I said, I was not furnish'd Suffi-
cient to answ^r it depending on the Judgment of the Mary-
landers & the Merch^ts trading to the Province, thereupon they
directed Me for Maryland & M^r Abercrombie for Virginia
to consult the Merch^ts & others Principally concern'd in the
Trade & shipping of those Colonies, to the End, that if they
shall agree in the advantages w^h the Trade & Navigation of
Each Province will receive from such a work proper Meas-
ures may be concert'd for erecting & Maintaining it at the
joint Expence of the Provinces, since their Lord^ps say in
their Representation to the King's most Excellent Majesty
on the s^d Virginia Act, the Act being of an Extraordinary
Nature there, being several particulars in (w^h their Lord^ps
Observe) the Act, is defective amongst others, Besides
these defects, it is liable to one Objection which alone appears
to us to render it unfit to Receive your Majesty's Confirma-
tion & Allowance For the Duty of Tonnage being laid in

general cm all ships & Vessels going into or out of the Bay of
Chesapeak would be Tax'd by the Legislature of Virginia
to whose Authority the Province of Maryland cannot by the
Express Exemptions of it's Charter be in any case liable "

"For this Reason We think it necessary humbly to pro-
pose that your Majesty wo^d be pleased to Declare y^r Royal
Disallowance of the s^d Act"

I have acquainted the Merch^ts of Maryland with their
Lord^ps Requisitions to Me concerning the Light House and
have for answ^r at their meeting, In general agreed that one
Light House on Cape Henry would be worse then none, for