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gates. Allowing 8 men, the British average, for every gun, their annual expense, including subsistence, clothing, pay and ordinary repairs, would be about 1280 dollars for every gun, or 2,304,000 dollars for the whole. I state this only as one year's possible exertion without deciding whether more or less than a year's exertion should be thus applied.

The value of our lands and slaves, taken conjunctly, doubles in about twenty years. This arises from the multiplication of our slaves, from the extension of culture, and increased demand for lands. The amount of what may be raised will of course rise in the same proportion.

QUERY XXIII.

THE histories of the state, the memorials published in its name in the time of its being a colony, and the pamphlets relating to its interior or exterior affairs present or ancient?

Captain Smith, who next to Sir Walter Raleigh may be considered as the founder of our colony, has written its history, from the first adventures to it, till the year 1624. He was a member of the council, and afterwards president of the colony; and to his efforts principally may be ascribed its support against the opposition of the natives. He was honest, sensible, and well informed; but his style is barbarous and uncouth. His history, however, is almost the only source from which we derive any knowledge of the infancy of our state.

The reverend William Stith, a native of Virginia, and president of its college, has also written the history of the same period, in a large octavo volume of small print. He was a man of classical learning, and very exact, but of no taste in style. He is inelegant, therefore, and his details often too minute to be tolerable, even to a native of the country, whose history he writes,

Beverley, a native also, has run into the other extreme, he has comprised our history, from the first propositions of Sir Walter Raleigh to the year 1700, in the hundredth part of the space which Stith employs for the fourth part of the period.

Sir William Keith has taken it up at its earliest period, and continued it to the year 1725. He is agreeable enough in style, and passes over events of little importance. Of course he is short, and would be preferred by a foreigner.

During the regal government, some contest arose on the exaction of an illegal fee by governor Dinwiddie, and doubtless there were others on other occasions not at present recollected. It is supposed, that these are not sufficiently interesting to a foreigner to merit a detail.

The petition of the council and burgesses of Virginia to the king, their memorial to the lords, and remonstrance to the commons in the year 1764, began the present contest; and these having proved ineffectual to prevent the passage of the stamp act, the resolutions of the house of burgesses of 1765 were passed, declaring the independence of the people of Virginia on the parliament of Great Britain, in matters of taxation. From that time till the declaration of independence by Congress in 1776, their journals are filled with assertions of the public rights.

The pamphlets published in this state on the controverted question, were:

1766, An Inquiry into the rights of the British Colonies, by Richard Bland.

1769, The Monitor's Letters, by Dr Arthur Lee. 1774, A summary View of the rights of British America.*

1774, Considerations, &c. by Robert Carter Nicholas. Since the declaration of independence this state has had no controversy with any other, except with that of Pennsylvania, on their common boundary. Some pa

By the author of these notes.

pers on this subject passed between the executive and legislative bodies of the two states, the result of which was a happy accommodation of their rights.

To this account of our historians, memorials, and pamphlets, it may not be unuseful to add a chronological catalogue of American state papers, as far as I have been able to collect their titles. It is far from being either complete or correct. Where the title alone, and not the paper itself, has come under my observation, I cannot answer for the exactness of the date. Sometimes I have not been able to find any date at all, and sometimes have not been satisfied that such a paper exists. An extensive collection of papers of this description has been for some time in a course of preparation by a gentleman* fully equal to the task, and from whom, therefore, we may hope ere long to receive it. In the mean time accept this as the result of my labours, and as closing the tedious detail which you have so undesignedly drawn upon yourself.

Pro Johanne Caboto et filiis suis super 1496, Mar. 5. terra incognita investiganda. 12. Ry. 11. H. 7. 595. 3. Hakl. 4. 2. Mem. Am. 409.

Billa signata anno 13. Henrici septimi. 1498. Feb. 3. 3. Hakluyt's voiages 5.

De potestatibus ad terras incognitas investigandum. 13. Rymer. 37. Commission de François I. à Jacques Ca

tier pour l'establissement du Canada. L'Escarbot. 397. 2. Mem. Am. 416.

13. H. 7.

1502, Dec. 19.

18. H. 7.

1540, Oct. 17.

An act against the exaction of money, or 1548, 2. E. 6. any other thing, by any officer for license to traffique into Iseland and Newfoundland, made in An. 2. Edwardi

sexti. 3. Hakl. 131.

The letters patent granted by her Majes- 1578, June 11. tie to Sir Humphrey Gilbert, knight, for 20 El.

the inhabiting and planting of our peo

ple in America. 3. Hakl. 135.

* Mr. Hazard.

1583, Feb. 6. Letters-patent of Queen Elizabeth to Adrian Gilbert and others, to discover

26. El.

the northwest passage to China. 3. Hakl. 96.

1584, Mar. 25. The letters-patent granted by the Queen's Majestie to M. Walter Raleigh, now knight, for the discovering and planting of new lands and countries, to continue the space of six years and no more. 3. Hakl. 243.

Mar. 7. 31. El. An assignment by Sir Walter Raleigh for continuing the action of inhabiting and

planting his people in Virginia. Hakl. 1st. ed. publ. in 1589. p. 815.

1603, Nov. 8. Lettres de Lieutenant General de l'Acadie & pays circonvoisins pour le Sieur de Monts. L'Escarbot. 417.

4 Jac. 1.

1606, Apr. 10. Letters-patent to Sir Thomas Gates, Sir George Somers and others of America. Stith. Apend. No. 1.

4. Jac. 1.

1607, Mar. 9. An ordinance and constitution enlarging the council of the two colonies in Virginia and America, and augmenting their authority, M. S.

7 Jac. 1.

1609, May 23. The second charter to the treasurer and company for Virginia, erecting them into a body politic. Stith. Ap. 2.

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Jac. 1.

1610, Apr. 10. Letters-patent to the E. of Northampton, granting part of the island of Newfoundland. 1. Harris. 861.

1611, Mar. 12. A third charter to the treasurer and company for Virginia. Stith. Ap. 3.

9 Jac. 1.

1617, Jac. 1.

1620, Apr. 7. 18 Jac. 1.

1620, June 29.

18 Jac. 1.

A commission to Sir Walter Raleigh.
Qu.?

Commissio specialis concernens le garb-
ling herbe Nocotianæ. 17. Rym. 190,
A proclamation for restraint of the disor-
dered trading of tobacco. 17. Rym.
233.

1620, Nov. 3. A grant of New England to the council of Plymouth.

Jac. 1.

An ordinance and constitution of the trea- 1621, July 24. surer, council and company in Eng- Jac. 1. land, for a council of state and general

assembly in Virginia. Stith. Ap. 4.

A grant of Nova Scotia to Sir William 1621. Sep. 10. Alexander. 2. Mem. de l'Amerique. 20 Jac. 1.

193.

A proclamation prohibiting interloping 1622, Nov. 6. and disorderly trading to New England 20 Jac. 1. in America. 17. Rym. 416.

De commissione speciali Willelmo Jones 1623, May 9. militi directa. 17. Rym. 490.

21 Jac. 1.

A grant to Sir Edmund Ployden, of New 1623. Albion. Mentioned in Smith's examination. 82.

De commissione Henrico vicecomiti Man- 1624, July 15. devill & aliis. 17. Rym. 609.

De Commissione speciali concernenti gubernationem in Virginia.

618.

22 Jac. 1.

1624, Aug. 26.

17.

Rym. 22 Jac. 1.

17. 1624, Sep. 29.

A proclamation concerning tobacco.
Rym. 621.

22 Jac. 1.

De concessione demiss, Edwardo Ditch- 1624, Nov. 9. field et aliis. 17. Rym. 633.

22 Jac. 1.

A proclamation for the utter prohibiting 1625, Mar. 2. the importation and use of all tobacco 22 Jac. 1. which is not of the proper growth of

the colony of Virginia and the Somer

islands, or one of them.

17. Rym. 668.

De commissione directa Georgio Yarde- 1625, Mar. 4.

ley miliți et aliis. 18. Rym. 311. Proclamatio de herba Nicotianâ. Rym. 19.

1 Car. 1. 18. 1625, Apr. 9.

A proclamation for settlinge the plantation of Virginia. 18. Rym. 72.

1 Car. 1.

1625, May 13.

1 Car. 1.

A grant of the soil, barony, and domains 1625, July 12. of Nova Scotia to Sir Wm. Alexander

of Minstrie. 2 Mem. Am. 226.

Commissio directa Johanni Wolstenhol- 1626, Jan. 31. me militi et aliis. 18. Rym. 831.

2 Car. 1.

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