Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1761-1 769. 119

hither a few days ago by the Post from New York, I do
myself the honour to acknowledge my Receipt thereof, but
must at the same time inform you, that altho' the People of this
Province have not gone such lengths as those of New York
and some other of the Northern Colonies, their Sentiments
with respect to the Stamp Act seem to be much the same, and
had M^r Hood who was appointed to distribute the Papers in
this Province attempted to execute his Office, It would not I
believe have been in my Power to protect him. In the Letter
I took the Liberty to Write to the Earl of Halifax the fifth of
September last I informed his Lordship that M^r Hood had a
few days before retired to New York where he has remained
ever since so that when Cap^t Brown, Commander of His Maj-
esty's Sloop Hawke, arrived here in December with some of
the Stamp't Paper destined for this Province, there was no
Person authorized to receive and distribute it, had the People
been disposed to make use of it, wherefore as the Lower
House of Assembly were averse to its being landed, and there
was no place of Security here in which it could be lodged, I by
advice of the Council, desired Cap^t Brown to keep it on Board,
and to his doing so it is probably owing that there hath been
no Disturbance here, since that of which I gave an Account in
my abovementioned Letter to the Earl of Halifax. Had I not
been convinced that it would be Impossible, without a con-
siderable Military Force, to carry the Act of Parliament into
Execution here, while it was opposed so violently in the other
Colonies, I should have called upon M^r Hood to execute his
Office, and have promised to support him in Discharge of his
Duty, but after the proceedings of the People at New York
in the Presence of General Gage and a Body of his Majesty's

Lib. J. R.

& U. S.

Forces, I presume that nothing more would be expected from
me, under such Circumstances, than to preserve Peace and
good Order in the Province where I have the honour to pre-
side, until I could receive his Majesty's Instructions, and I
flatter myself with hopes that my Conduct on the Occasion will
not be condemned, but meet with his Majesty's Approbation.
I am &c.
To the Right honble General Conway Hor^o Sharpe

Annapolis io^th February 1766.
Sir
In Answer to the Letter you wrote to me the 14^th of Sepf
last, by Order of the Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's
Treasury, which I have lately received, I must desire you to
acquaint their Lordships, that if the Person appointed to dis-
tribute the Stamp Paper within this Province could with any

p. 405