1681-1683.
Statistics of Virginia--Colonial Revenue--Courts of Law--
Ecclesiastical Affairs--Militia--Indians--Negroes--Riotous
cutting up of Tobacco-plants--Culpepper returns--Declaration
of Assembly expunged--The Governor alters the Value of Coin by
Proclamation.
FROM a statistical account of Virginia, as reported by Culpepper to the
committee of the colonies, in 1681, it appears that there were at that
time forty-one burgesses, being two from each of twenty counties, and
one from Jamestown. The colonial revenue consisted--First, of parish
levies, "commonly managed by sly cheating fellows, that combine to cheat
the public." Secondly, public levies raised by act of assembly, both
derived from tithables or working hands, of which there were about
fourteen thousand. The cost of collecting this part of the revenue was
estimated at not less than twenty per centum. Thirdly, two shillings per
hogshead on tobacco exported, which, together with some tonnage duties,
amounted to three thousand pounds a year. The county courts held three
sessions in the year, an appeal lying to the governor and council, and
from them, in actions of three hundred pounds sterling value, to his
majesty; in causes of less consequence, to the assembly.
The ecclesiastical affairs of the colony were subject to the control
of the governor, who granted probates of wills, and had the right
of presentation to all livings, the ordinary value of which was
sixty pounds per annum; but at that particular time, owing to the
impoverishment of the country and the low price of tobacco, not worth
half that sum. The number of livings was seventy-six. Lord Culpepper
adds: "And the parishes paying the ministers themselves, have used to
claim the right of presentation, (or rather of not paying,) whether the
governor will or not, which must not be allowed, and yet must be managed
with great caution." There was no fort in Virginia defensible against a
European enemy, nor any security for ships against a superior sea force.
There were perhaps fifteen thousand fighting men in the country.[332:A]
His lordship describes the north part of Carolina as "the refuge of our
renegades, and till in better order, dangerous to us." Yet it is certain
that some of the early settlers of this part of North Carolina were of
exemplary character, and were driven from Virginia by intolerance and
persecution. According to his lordship, "Maryland is now in a ferment,
and not only troubled with our disease, poverty, but in a great danger
of falling to pieces." The colony of Virginia was at peace with the
Indians; but long experience had taught, in regard to that treacherous
race, that when there was the least suspicion then was there the
greatest danger. But the most ruinous evil that afflicted the colony was
the extreme low price of the sole commodity, tobacco. "For the market is
overstocked, and every crop overstocks it more. Our thriving is our
undoing, and our buying of blacks hath extremely contributed thereto by
making more tobacco."[332:B]
Emancipated Indian or negro slaves were prohibited from buying Christian
servants, but were allowed to buy those of their own nation. Negro
children imported had their ages recorded by the court, and became
tithable at the age of twelve years. In June, 1680, an act was passed
for preventing an insurrection of the negro slaves, and it was ordered
that it should be published twice a year at the county courts of the
parish churches.[332:C] Negroes were not allowed to remain on another
plantation more than four hours without leave of the owner or overseer.
After "his excellency," Lord Culpepper, went away from Virginia in
August, 1680, leaving Sir Henry Chicheley deputy governor, tranquillity
prevailed until the time for shipping tobacco in the following year,
when the trade was greatly obstructed by the act for establishing towns,
which required vessels to be laden at certain specified places. The act
being found impracticable, was disobeyed, and much disturbance ensued.
In compliance with the petitions of several dissatisfied counties, an
assembly was called together in April, 1682, by Sir Henry Chicheley,
without the consent of the council. The session being occupied in
agitating debates, the body was dissolved, and another summoned,
according to an order just received from the crown, to meet in November,
1682, by which time Culpepper was commanded to return to Virginia. The
disaffected in the petitioning counties, Gloucester, New Kent, and
Middlesex, in May proceeded riotously to cut up the tobacco-plants in
the beds, especially the sweet-scented, which was produced nowhere else.
To put a stop to this outbreak, the deputy governor issued sundry
proclamations.[333:A]
Lord Culpepper having arrived, the assembly met shortly afterwards. He
demanded of the council an account of their administration during his
absence, and it was rendered. In his address to the assembly, he
enlarged upon the king's generous and undeserved concessions to the
colony; he announced the king's high displeasure at the declaration made
by them that the seizing of their records by the king's commissioners
was an unwarrantable violation of their privileges, and, in the king's
name, ordered the same to be expunged from the journal of the house, and
proposed to them a bill asserting the right of the king and his officers
to call for all their records and journals whenever they should think it
necessary for the public service.
The governor claiming authority to raise the value of the coin, the
assembly warmly opposed it, as a dangerous encroachment on their
constitutional rights; and a bill was brought in for regulating the
value of coins, which was interrupted by the governor, who claimed that
power as belonging to the royal prerogative. He issued a proclamation,
in 1683, raising the value of crowns, rix dollars, and pieces of eight,
from five to six shillings, half pieces to three shillings, quarter
pieces to eighteen pence, and the New England coin to one shilling,
declaring money at this rate a lawful tender, except for the duty of two
shillings a hogshead on tobacco, the quit-rents, and other duties
payable to his majesty, and for debts contracted for bills of exchange.
His own salary and the king's revenues were, in this way, in a period
of distress, exempted from the operation of the act, a proceeding
characteristic of the reign of Charles the Second, in which official
energy was mainly exhibited in measures of injustice and extortion.
The ringleaders in the plant cutting were arrested, and some of them
hanged upon a charge of treason; and this, together with the enactment
of a riot act, and making the offence high treason, put a stop to the
practice.[334:A]
FOOTNOTES:
[332:A] The number of half-armed train-bands, in 1680, were 7268 foot
and 1300 horse--total, 8568.--_Chalmers' Annals_, 357.
[332:B] Chalmers' Annals, 355.
[332:C] Hening, ii. 481, 492.
[333:A] Hening, ii. 561.
[334:A] Chalmers' Annals, 340; Hening, iii. 10.