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MSS.
Archives
of Md.
Portfolio
No. 4
Letter 54
Hall of
Records
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of G Britain as well as of these Colonies that it should be pursued
argue thus. "If We do not purchase & carry to Europe the Produce
of the Enemy's Part of Hispaniola the Spaniards, Dutch or some
other Neutrals will, in which Case perhaps the French will not get
quite so much for their Commodities as they do at present but then
We shall gain Nothing, Now as the Trade is at present carried on
we give them suppose One hundred (part Goods & part Money)
for the produce of their part of the Island, which produce we trans-
port to Europe & sell for four times as much, so that for every
pound that the French receive for the Produce of their Lands &
Negroes the English engaged in this Trade get or Clear at least
two. It hath been alledged against these Gentlemen that they will
in a very short time export all the Gold out of N America but to this
they answer that if that should be the Case enough Silver & paper
Money will be left to answer all Occasions & that for the Gold they
export great Quantities of Goods are daily imported from their
Mother Country even the whole Amount of the Nett Proceeds of
all the Sugar which they send to Holland & elsewhere." For my
own part I must acknowledge that there seems to be some Reason
in what the Merchants advance, but at the same time as I much
question whether the Ministry will be of the same Opinion or
approve of the Conduct of His Majesty's Governor's in granting
Flags of Truce for such a purpose or indeed on any Account what-
ever, I decline granting one for the Transportation of the Prisoners
mentioned at the Beginning of my Letter nor shall I take any Step
relative to them till I have the Satisfaction to receive Your Answer
which be so kind as to send me by the Packett or first other Oppor-
tunity that offers & I should be much obliged to You if at the same
time You will transmit me a Copy of the Oath which is always
administered to His Majesty's Governors at the time they qualify.
Before I conclude I think it proper to inform You that since
the War broke out I have by Advice of His Ldp's Council sent to
Domingo at two different times a Number of French Prisoners that
were taken at Sea by some of our Ships & brought directly into this
province but I did not grant Flags even for this purpose untill I had
first recommended it to the Assembly to provide in some manner for
the prisoners Support untill I could send them to G. Britain which
the Assembly refusing to do the poor fellows must have suffered Want
had they been any longer detained
[Horatio Sharpe]
[To Philip Sharpe Esq, London]
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