xxvi Letter of Transmitted.

A clash occurred between the two houses over the appropriations to defray
certain expenditures of the Provincial government included in the Journal of
Accounts, submitted by the Governor to both houses for approval. Of the six
items struck out by the Lower House three related to matters of long-standing
dispute. One item was an allowance of £100 annually for the rent of Col. Brice's
house for the Governor's residence, the Lower House maintaining this amount
excessive. Another item objected to was the allowance to the members of the
Upper House when sitting as a Council of State, and the yearly salary allowed to
John Ross, Clerk of the Upper House, when acting as Clerk of the Council. In
the final compromise an allowance of £60 was made for the rent of the Govern-
or's house. The Lower House refused to agree to any payments to the mem-
bers of the Upper House while sitting as the Council, and although it agreed
to allow the salary to Ross as Clerk for this year, declared that thereafter no
further allowance for this purpose would be granted. The Journal was finally
approved on May 17th.

Indian affairs occupied much of the attention of the Assembly. Indian out-
rages on the western frontier and the bounty offered for scalps of Indian enemies
have already been referred to. On March 2d, the Governor replied to an inquiry
from the Lower House as to what he had done to comply with General Shirley's
request that a treaty of amity be concluded between Maryland and the adjoining
colonies with the Catawba and Cherokee tribes of southern Indians. He sug-
gested that the Commissioners be authorized to negotiate such a treaty, and to
show by presents, appreciation of the Cherokees' contribution of one hundred
warriors tu the Virginia forces for the campaign against the hostile Shawanee
towns. Sharpe on May 12th notified the Lower House that Governor Din-
widdie had written him that the Virginia Commissioners reported that these
southern Indians would join with them if the Virginians built a suitable fort
to protect their women and children, but if this were not done they would join
the French, and that Virginia had recently appropriated £2,000 for the purpose.
Sharpe then requested the Lower House to permit the money appropriated for
presents to be used on the fort. The Lower House declared that the Supply Bill
under consideration would contain a provision appropriating £1,500 for culti-
vating friendship with the Indians and therefore did not think it well to divert
any of this money for the construction of the fort.

Various reservations had in the past been set aside in the Province for the
use of friendly tribes of Indians, and according to law were to be occupied solely
by them or by whites to whom the Indians might rent lands. It would appear
that sundry whites, claiming that they had leased them from the Indians, had
occupied lands on these reservations and then refused to pay rent. On October
18, 1755, the Indians of Locust Neck, Dorchester County, had petitioned the