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[104] were come hither upon their owne chardges,[105] and suche also as were brought hither upon the Companie's coste, maye 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 onely hope of a posterity, a single share a piece, and shares for their issues or[106] 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[107] here to collecte their rents,[108] to the ende that[109] 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[110] it most convenient, workmen of all sortes, fitt for that purpose.
The sixte and laste is, they wilbe[111] 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[112] sett downe doe most humbly offer up and present[113] to the honourable construction of the Treasurer, Counsell and Company in England.
These petitions thus concluded on, those twoe Comitties broughte me[114] 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[115] they could finde nothing therein subject to exception, only the Governors[116] 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[117] us not to make as[118] 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[119] 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[120] debating of suche instructions given by the Counsell in England to several[121] Governors[122] as might be converted into lawes, the last whereof was the Establishment of the price of Tobacco, namely, of the best at 3d[123] and the second at 18d the pounde. At the reading of this the Assembly thought good to send for Mr. Abraham Persey, the Cape marchant, to publishe this instruction to him, and to demaunde[124] of him if he knewe of any impediment why it might not be admitted of? His answere[125] was that he had not as yet received any suche order from the Adventurers of the[126] —— in England. And notwthstanding he sawe the authority was good, yet was he unwilling to yield, till suche time as the Governor[127] and Assembly had layd their commandment upon him, out of the authority of the foresaid Instructions as followeth:
By the General Assembly.
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[128] and Company in Englande at a general quarter courte, both by[129] voices and under their hands[130] and the Comon seall,[131] and given to Sir George Yeardley, knight, this present governour, Decemb.[132] 3, 1618, that you are bounde to accepte of the Tobacco of the Colony, either for commodities or upon billes,[133] at three shillings the beste[134] and the second sorte at 18d the pounde, and this shalbe[135] your sufficient dischardge.