Appendix. 359

B

[INSTRUCTIONS OF FREDERICK, LORD BALTIMORE,
DATED FEBRUARY 7, 1765, TO GOVERNOR HORATIO SHARPE

REFER TO THE CONTROVERSIES BETWEEN THE UPPER
HOUSE AND THE LOWER HOUSE IN REGARD TO THE DIS-
POSITION OF FEES OF LICENSES FROM ORDINARIES, AND
AFTER ASSERTING HIS ANCIENT AND UNDISPUTED RIGHTS TO
THESE, ENJOINS SHARPE UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES TO
ASSENT TO ANY BILL WHICH IN ANY WAY INVADES HIS
RIGHT TO ORDINARY LICENSES OR FINES ACCRUING FROM
THEM, WITHOUT A PROVISO THAT SUCH A BILL REMAIN
SUSPENDED AND INEFFECTUAL FOR AT LEAST EIGHTEEN
MONTHS AFTER ITS PASSAGE, OR UNTIL HIS WILL IS SIG-
NIFIED. A SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT VERSION OF THESE IN-
STRUCTIONS WILL BE FOUND IN THE ARCHIVES VOLUME

XXXII, 143-144.]

FREDERICK, ABSOLUTE LORD AND PROPRIETARY OF
THE PROVINCES OF AVALON & MARYLAND IN AMER-
ICA, LORD BARON OF BALTIMORE IN THE KINGDOM OF
IRELAND.

F Baltimore
To Our Right Trusty and Well Beloved Horatio Sharpe Esq.^r
Our Lieut.^t Governor and Commander in Chief in and over our
Province of Maryland aforesaid.
Whereas It Appears to Me, from Perusal of the Journals and
Proceedings of the Assembly of our s.^d Province of Maryland, That
Various Altercations & Controversys have arisen, & subsisted for
some years past, between our Upper & Lower Houses of Assembly,
as well touching the application & disposition of the Duties Fines
Penaltys & forfeitures arising from Ordinary Licenses and other
Licences Granted within our said Province, as touching the Order-
ing and Regulating of the Same Licenses, and the Collection and
receit of the Duties Fines and Forfeitures arising from the same,
whereby, our Antient and Undoubted Rights & Prerogatives are
drawn in question, and Attempts made by one branch of the Legis-
lative Authority, in Opposition to the other branches of the same
Legislature, to Divest us of our s.^d Revenue, and to Appropriate the
same, at the Arbitram.^t & Appointm.^t of one House, contrary to our
Dignity, and equally Injurious to our Publick and Private rights to
the great Interruption of the business of our said Assembly and
to the heavy burthen & Expence of our said Province; And We
being advised, That the sole Power of Granting, Ordering, and
Regulating Licences within our said Province, with all Incidents
thereto appertaining, is vested in us, by Virtue of our Prerogative
and Charter rights, and the Antient Exercise and Usage of the same
by our Noble Ancestors. I Do therefore hereby strictly Enjoyn and
28

MSS Calvert
Papers
No. 693
Md.Hist.Soc.