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

purpose, His Lord^p requires y^r Examination into the above
matter of complaint & that such redress be had & given as is
Equitable & just & that for the future all real proceedings
concerning such conduct be stop'd in Justice of the copies of
the several Acts that were made between 1638 & 1662 for
the Defence of the Province &c^a transmitted by you & as
to the Note The Act for Customs made in 1646 is not on
Record in the Province if not there I find it not here at
present By observation in Several Acts which were made
after this time Viz. in 1676 & in 1678 by Minits you transmit,
the Act of 1649 concerning the Levying War within this
Province was Reserved to as being then in force, His Lord^p
rests on the Stability of the Act of 1649 his Exemption of all
Tax on his Estate as Lord Proprietor of the Province to-
wards defraying the Expence of any War is still in force
Notwithstanding the Gen^l Repealing Act of King William
who took the Goverment of the Province into his own hands
yet in that Act there is a proviso saving to all & every
Person or Persons whatsoever was & is his or their Rights
& Benefits which he or they had by the former Acts of
Assembly By which Reserve he rests his Exemption by
Virtue of the Act in 1649 And altho' his Lord^p has Volun-
tarily Submitted to Taxation in some particular for his
Majesty's service it cant from thence be presumed either in
Law Equity or cofnon sence that he has excluded himself of
the firmness of the Act of 1649 as to his Exemption & he
will abide by the Act of 1649 & the Authenticity thereof
certifyed by a true Copy of the said Act on Record signed
John Ross Cl. Con: & by Y^r Testimony of the great Seal of
the Province transmitted by you; And 'tis Explanatory,
the Act of customs in 1646 whereby the then Lord Proprietor
undertook the charge of Government in War & Peace by the
Act in 1650 Entituled An Act concerning levying War in
this Province, in the last Clause is to be levyed upon the
Province by an Equal Assessment upon the Persons & Es-
tates of the Inhabitants thereof the Repealing Act of Cus-
toms in 1661 confirms the said charge as to the Lord Pro-
prietor repealed for ever & is a Reserve to the Act in 1649
then in force & w^h is also confirmed by the Act in 1650 the
Acts certifyed by J Ross C^l Con^l & under Y^r Authenticity
concern^g the said Acts Copies taken, & transmitted by you.
I have not been able as yet to obtain from M^r Hunt his Acco^t
of disbursem^ts of the Money that has been return'd him & his
Colleague Trustees by the Provincial Naval Officers on Acco^t
of the Paper curr^y Act since the Mess^rs Hanbury Appointm^t
with him I have pressed them to lay out the Money in hand