Letter of Transmittal. xxiii

taken to comply with the directions of the Lords of Trade to send commission-
ers to the Albany Conference. Expressing his belief that full compliance with
his wishes would be accorded at their next meeting, he prorogued the Assembly
until the third Tuesday in July next.

Few laws were passed at this session. One urged by the Governor to prevent
the counterfeiting of the Bills of Credit or paper currency of Pennsylvania,
New York, the Jerseys, and Delaware, was enacted. As usual a supplementary
act to amend in some particular the important " tobacco law " was passed. Two
bills relating to church matters became laws. One of these provided for the
repair of the Church at Chaptico in King and Queen Parish in St. Mary's
County, and another authorized the erection of a Chapel of Ease at Ivy Hill in
Port Tobacco Parish in Charles County. The building of a prison in Frederick
Town was ordered. The customary act directing Jonas Green to print the
session laws and the Votes and Proceedings of the Lower House was passed.

The Assembly, which had been prorogued by Sharpe until July, met on the
17th of this month upon what was the sixth and last session of the body which
had been elected in 1751. Events of such serious import had transpired since
its meeting two months before, that further delay in making provision for the
inevitable conflict with the French seemed impossible, and it was in this spirit
that the Governor addressed them. Two weeks before the Assembly met, sur-
rounded by an overwhelming force, Washington in command of the Virginia
troops had been obliged to surrender at Great Meadows with his entire force,
although he and his men were allowed to retire with the honors of war. The
French and Indians were now in control of the entire western frontier. The
settlers were in terror and frantic appeals for help were pouring in to the
governors of Maryland and Virginia. Sharpe, in his opening speech, reminded
the Assembly that there could now be no question of actual invasion of their
borders by the French and their savage allies, and that in view of the total
defeat of the Virginia troops under Colonel Washington, as a duty to their
neighbors and for their own self-respect and protection, immediate compliance
must be made with the instructions contained in the letter of the Earl of Holder-
nesse. He also informed them that he had already dispatched arms to Frederick
and ammunition for the use of the North Carolina troops under Colonel Inness.
He urged the Assembly to raise immediately a fund for military purposes, as
the money for the purchase of arms in the hands of the two treasurers was
nearly exhausted, and that it was also necessary to make provision for raising a
force of militia. The Lower House at once prepared a bill entitled "An Act for
his Majesty's Service " for the purpose of raising six thousand pounds current
money, which was agreed to by the Upper House and promptly passed. After
reciting in the preamble the depredations of the French in the inhabited parts