Imediately after these things were thus ordered, as the Court were proceedinge after their accustomed manner to the eleccon of their Treasurer Deputy and other Officers for this present yeare accordinge to the direccon of his Majesties Letters Patents, mr Alderman Hamersly rose upp and havinge first excused his seldome comminge to Courts by reason of the Officers negligent warninge of him, he said That himselfe and mr Bell were both commaunded by mr Secretary Calvert to deliver a Message in his Majesties name unto this Court, namely to signifie, that although it was not his Majesties desire to infringe their liberty of free elleccon yet it would be pleasing unto him, if they made choise for Treasuror and Deputy any of those gentlemen (commended for their Sufficiency), whose names were mencioned in the paper nowe presented in open Court which were these that followe vizt. [The names of five gentlemen nominated by the King for Treasurer, and five more for Deputy.]...
Mr Bell, beinge also entreated to deliver the Message he had receaved from mr Secretary Calvert, said that he was not present when mr Secretary Calvert imparted this Message to mr Alderman Hamersley, but that there came a Messenger to him over night to require him to attend mr Secretary Calvert at his Chamber; and beinge there, mr Secretary told him that his Majestie commaunded him to signifie his pleasure that out of his good wishes (for the good of the Company and the Plantation) he had recommended to this Court certaine Gentlemen (named in the paper nowe presented) if the Company so thought good: But it was not his meaning to infringe the liberty of their free choise; And beinge desirous to have had his Message in writinge, mr Secretary said it needed not for it was but short.
Both which Messages agreeing in substance, and beinge a full remonstrance of his Majesties well wishing unto the Plantation and of his graceous meaninge not to infringe the priviledge of the Companie and liberty of their free eleccon, was receaved with great love and contentment of the whole Court; and therupon proceedinge to the eleccon of their Treasuror (for which onely three by the orders of the Company could stand). It was generally agreed that out of the five formerly proposed by his Majestie for Treasuror, choise should be made of two of them to stand in eleccon with one that the Companie should name: Wherupon the former five beinge severally put to the question, it appeared by ereccon of most hands that mr Clethero and mr Hanford were to stand for it: Then the Companie named the Lord of Southampton; who beinge all three accordingly ballated, the place fell to the Lord of Southampton by havinge 117 balls, mr Clethero 13 and mr Hanford 7. In like manner out of the five formerly named by his Majestie for Deputy, by ereccion of most hands, mr Leat and mr Bateman were to stand for it; unto whome the Companie havinge added mr Nicholas ffarrer, they were all three put to the Ballatinge Boxe, and thereupon choise was made of mr Nicholas ffarar by havinge 103, mr Bateman 10: and mr Leate 5.
Itt beinge moved that there might be some presentaccon of the Companies humble thankfullnes unto his Majestie in respect of the graceous Message formerly delivered, after some deliberaccon had thereuppon, the Court conceaved it fitt to be sett downe in these words (vizt) That the Lord Cavendish the Lord Padgett, the Lord Haughton are humbly requested by the Court to present their most humble thanks to his Majestie for his graceous remembrance and good wishes to their affaires out of which he was graceously pleased to recommend certaine persons for Treasuror and Deputy if they so thought fitt, but without any infringement of their liberty of free eleccon; and they were further humbly requested to signify and testifie unto his Majestie the great respect and reverence wherewith his message was receaved and howe in conformity thereunto, although they had formerly accordinge to their custome in their Praeparative Court nominated the Earle of Southampton for Treasuror, yet out of the persons recommended by his Majestie they choose fower who had most voices and put them in eleccon with two nominated by the Company,—upon whom the places were conferred by an unanimous consent of the Company, havinge founde the Plantation to prosper every of these three last yeares more then in ten before, and [more] found to have bin donn with Ten thousand pounds, then formerly with fower score thousand....
[The language of the Records, of course, is decorous and courtly; but the student ought to be able to see a certain grim humor along with the steadfast determination not to permit royal usurpation. The Ferrars' Papers report that, when this last communication was delivered to the King, he "flung away in a furious passion,"—not unnaturally. Some of the other episodes in this connection told in those papers are given in American History and Government.]
FOOTNOTES:
[12] This means for, not in; cf. Rule CI.