Satturday, July 31.
The nexte daye, therefore, out of the opinions of the said Comitties,[84]
it was agreed, these[85]
Petitions ensuing should be framed, to be presented
to the Treasurer, Counsel & Company in England. Upon the
Comitties'[86]
perusall of the first booke,[87]
the General[88]
Assembly doe
become most humble suitours to their lops and to the rest of that honble
Counsell and renowned Company, that albeit they have bene pleased[89]
to
allotte unto the Governor[90]
to themselves, together wth the Counsell of
Estate here, and[91]
to the officers of Incorporations, certain lande[92]
portions
of lande to be layde out within the limites of the same, yet that[93]
they
woulde vouchsafe also,[94]
that[95]
groundes as heretofore had bene granted by
patent to the antient[96]
Planters by former Governours that had from the
Company received comission[97]
so to doe, might not nowe after so muche
labor and coste, and so many yeares habitation be taken from them. And
to the ende that no man might doe or suffer any wrong in this kinde, that
they woulde favour us so muche (if they meane to graunte this our petition)
as to send us notice, what comission or authority for graunting of
landes they have given to eache[98]
particular Governour in times paste.
The second petition of the General assembly framed by the Comitties[99]
out of the second book is. That the Treasurer[100]
& Company in
England would be pleased wth as muche convenient speed[101]
as may be to
sende men hither to occupie their landes belonging to the sower Incorporations,
as well for their owne[102]
behoofe and proffitt as for the maintenance
of the Counsell[103]
of Estate, who are nowe[104]
to their extream hindrance
often drawen far from their private busines and likewise that they will have
a care to sende[105]
tenants to the ministers of the fower Incorporations to
manure their gleab, to the intente that the allowance they have allotted
them of 200 G.[106]
a yeare may the more easily be raised.
The thirde Petition humbly presented by this General Assembly to the
Treasurer, Counsell & Company is, that it may plainely be expressed in
the great Comission (as indeed it is not) that the antient Planters of both
sortes, viz., suche as before Sir Thomas Dales' depart[107]
were come hither
upon their owne chardges,[108]
and suche also as were brought hither upon
the Companie's coste, may have their second, third and more divisions successively
in as lardge and free manner as any other Planters. Also that
they wilbe pleased to allowe to the male children, of them and of all others
begotten in Virginia, being the only hope of a posterity, a single share a
piece, and shares for their issues or
[109]
for themselves, because that in a newe
plantation it is not knowen whether man or woman be the more necessary.
Their fourth Petition is to beseech the Treasurer, Counsell & Company
that they would be pleased to appoint a Sub-Tresurer[110]
here to collecte
their rents,[111]
to the ende that[112]
the Inhabitants of this Colony be not tyed
to an impossibility of paying the same yearly to the Treasurer in England,
and that they would enjoine the said Sub-Treasurer not precisely according
to the letter of the Charter to exacte mony of us (whereof we have none at
all, as we have no minte), but the true value of the rente in comodity.
The fifte Petition is to beseeche the Treasurer, Counsell & Company
that, towards the erecting of the University and Colledge, they will sende,
when they shall thinke[113]
it most convenient, workmen of all sortes, fitt for
that purpose.
The sixte and laste is, they wilbe[114]
pleased to change the savage name
of Kiccowtan, and to give that Incorporation a newe name.
These are the general Petitions drawen by the Comitties out of the two
former bookes wch the whole general assembly in maner and forme
above[115]
sett downe do most humbly offer up and present[116]
to the honourable
construction of the Treasurer, Counsell and Company in England.
These petitions thus concluded on, those twoe Comitties broughte
me[117]
a reporte what they had observed in the two latter bookes, wch was
nothing else but that the perfection of them was suche as that[118]
they could finde nothing therein subject to exception, only the Governors[119]
particular
opinion to my selfe in private hathe bene as touching a clause in the thirde
booke, that in these doubtfull times between us and the Indians, it would
beehoove[120]
us not to make as[121]
lardge distances between Plantation and
Plantation as ten miles, but for our more strength ande security to drawe
nearer together.
At the same time, there remaining no[122]
farther scruple in the mindes
of the Assembly touching the said great Charter of lawes, orders and priviledges,
the Speaker putt the same to the question, and so it had both the
general assent and the applause of the whole assembly, who, as they professed
themselves in the first place most submissively thankfull to almighty
god, therefore so they commaunded the Speaker to returne (as nowe he
doth) their due and humble thankes to the Treasurer, Counsell and company
for so many priviledges and favours as well in their owne names as in
the names of the whole Colony whom they represented.
This being dispatched we fell once more[123]
debating of suche instructions
given by the Counsell in England to several[124]
Governors[125]
as might
be converted into lawes, the last whereof was the Establishment of the price
of Tobacco, namely, of the best at 3d[126]
and the second at 18d the pounde.
At the reading of this the Assembly thought good to sende for Mr. Abraham
Persey, the Cape marchant, to publishe this instruction to him, and to
demaunde[127]
of him if he knewe of any impediment why it might not be
admitted of? His answere[128]
was that he had not as yet received any suche
order from the Adventurers of the[129]
in England. And notwthstanding
he sawe the authority was good, yet was he unwilling to yield, till suche
time as the Governor[130]
and Assembly had layd their commandment upon
him, out of the authority of the foresaid Instructions as followeth:
We will and require you, Mr. Abraham Persey, Cape Marchant, from
this daye forwarde to take notice, that, according to an article in the
Instructions confirmed by the Treasurer, Counsell[131]
and Company in Englande
at a general quarter courte, both by[132]
voices and under their hands[133]
and the Comon seall,[134]
and given to Sir George Yeardley, knight, this
present governour, Decemb.[135]
3, 1618, that you are bounde to accepte of
the Tobacco of the Colony, either for commodities or upon billes,[136]
at three
shillings the beste[137]
and the second sorte at 18d the pounde, and this
shalbe[138]
your sufficient dischardge.
James citty out of the said General Assembly, July 31,[139]
1619.
At the same[140]
the Instructions convertible into lawes were referred to
the consideration of the above named Committies,[141]
viz., the general
Instructions to the first Committie[142]
and the particular Instructions to the
second, to be returned by them into the assembly on Munday morning.
