Letter of Transmittal. xxvii

of arms and ammunition for the defence of the Province, this threepence by
right should be still so applied. It was felt by the people at large that if three-
pence of this export duty on tobacco were devoted to defence, further taxation
for this purpose would be unnecessary.

After the adoption of these resolutions the Lower House proceeded to con-
gratulate Sharpe upon his appointment by the King as Commander-in-chief,
and expressed their pleasure that the Lord Proprietary had granted him tem-
porary leave of absence from the Province in order to execute the King's com-
mands. They also expressed the hope that " the issue of the resolution will
meet your approbation." A bill was then prepared in the Lower House entitled
"An Act for raising a supply towards His Majesty's Service " under which
an additional seven thousand pounds current money was appropriated for
purposes of defence, to be derived from taxes imposed under the terms of the
law passed in the previous July, "An Act for His Majesty's Service." This
was passed in the Lower House and rejected by the Upper House, but there
seems to have been no interchange of messages on this occasion between the
two houses explaining just why it was rejected, as it was known that the Pro-
prietary had so directed the Governor. The Lower House then ordered that the
bill be printed in full in their Proceedings, and requested that the Governor
adjourn the Assembly. The Assembly, however, before adjourning did pass
a militia bill, entitled "An Act for obtaining able bodied men for his Majesty's
Service," under which " all and every able bodied freeman who live idle and
do not follow or exercise some lawful Calling or Employment, or have not
some other visible and lawful Support and Maintenance " may be seized and
enlisted as soldiers. An interesting provision was incorporated that those
maimed or wounded in the service should be supported at public expense; and
the act exempted from draft persons who are eligible to vote in the elections for
members of the General Assembly, as well as debtors. No other laws were
passed at this session. Sharpe closed the session December 24th with a speech
in which he expressed his " surprise and Concern at being requested to put an
end to this session before you have in the least degree satisfied the expectations
that your several addresses presented soon after the opening thereof had raised
in me and I presume in every one who might have had an opportunity of
seeing them." He expressed the hope that they would " endeavor to convince
your constituents of the necessity of their permitting you to contribute without
any further hesitation to prevent the Success of the fatal Scheme which our
Common Enemy is now preparing," and thereupon prorogued them until the
fifteenth day of January following, although they were later prorogued again
until February twenty-second.