The Government is by a Governor and Council, Appointed and Authoriz’d from time to time by immediate Commission from the King of Great Brittain: And Laws are made by the Governor, with the consent of a General Assembly, which consists of two Houses, an Upper and a Lower; the first consists of the Council, and the latter of the Burgesses chosen by the Freemen of the Countrey; and Laws so made are in Force till His Majesty thinks fit to alter them.
The chief Court of Judicature is call’d The Quarter-Court, because it is held every quarter of a Year, where all Causes Criminal and Civil are heard and determin’d, and the Judges of this Court are the Governor and Council: The present Governor in this Year 1671. is Sir William Berkley, who was made Governor by King Charles the First, of Great Brittain, &c. in the Year 1640. And those of the Council are Sir Henry Chichesly, who is one of the greatest and most considerable Planters there, and Mr. Edward Diggs before-mention’d, Mr. Thomas Ludwel Secretary, Major-General Robert Smith, and divers other worthy Gentlemen.
That Part of the Country where the English are Planted, is divided into nineteen Counties, viz. Northampton-County in Acomack, on the Eastern shore; and on the Western shore, Corotuck, Lower-Norfolk, Nansemund, Isle of Wight, Surry, Warwick, Henerico, James, Charles, York, New-Kent, Glocester, Middlesex, Lancaster, Northumberland, Westmoreland, Rappahanock, and Harford-Counties.
In every one of these Counties there are inferior County-Courts kept every Month; these take no Cognizance of Causes relating to Life or Member, or exceeding a certain limited Value, such being refer’d to the Quarter-Courts only, to which likewise there lie Appeals from their Inferior Courts.
There are Sheriffs, Justices of the Peace, and other Officers in every respective County, appointed by the Governor, for the Administration of Justice, who sit there according to his Order, and whereof these County-Courts are chiefly compos’d.
There are few Towns as yet erected in this Colony; the Principal Seat of the English there, is at a Place call’d James-City, in Honor of King James of Great Brittain, &c. This is situated in a Peninsula, on the North-side of James River, and has in it many fair Brick and other good Houses: In this place are held the Quarter-Courts, General Assemblies, the Secretaries Office, and all other Affairs and greatest Concerns of the Colony are here dispatch’d. On the same side, nearer the Mouth of this River, stands Elizabeth-City, containing also several good Houses of Brick and Timber.
Sir William Berkley, the present Governor resides at a place somewhat distant from James-City, call’d Green-spring, a fair Brick House, which he himself caus’d to be Built.
The other Towns of Note belonging to the English, are only Henricopolis, or Henry’s-Town (so nam’d from Prince Henry then living, built in a very convenient place, more within Land, about eighty Miles distant from James-City) and Dale’s-Gift, so nam’d from Sir Thomas Dale Deputy-Governor of the Countrey, about the Year 1610.
The Indians of Virginia far exceed those of Mary-land, in Treachery and Cruelty to the English there, as will appear by this following Relation of their Proceedings towards them, since the first Seating of that Colony, wherein nevertheless, the Civility of some particular Persons at their first Landing is not to be omitted.
Transactions between the English and the Natives.