o what ende we should presume to referre
that to the examination of the Comitties w^ch the Counsell and Company
in Enggland had already resolved to be perfect, and did expecte
nothing but our assente thereunto? To this we answere that we did it
not to the ende to correcte or controll anything therein contained,
but onely in case we should finde ought not perfectly squaring wth the
state of this Colony or any lawe w^ch did presse or binde too harde,
that we might by waye of humble petition, seeke to have it redressed,
especially because this great Charter is to binde us and our heyers
for ever....
After dinner the Governor and those that were not of the Comitties
sate a seconde time, while the said Comitties were employed in the
perusall of those twoe bookes. And whereas the Speaker had propounded
fower severall objects for the Assembly to consider on: namely, first,
the great charter of orders, lawes, and priviledges; Secondly, which
of the instructions given by the Counsel in England to my lo: la:
warre, Captain Argall or Sir George Yeardley, might conveniently putt
on the habite of lawes; Thirdly, what lawes might issue out of the
private conceipte of any of the Burgesses, or any other of the Colony;
and lastly, what petitions were fitt to be sente home for England. It
pleased the Governour for expedition sake to have the second objecte
of the fower to be examined & prepared by himselfe and the
Non-Comitties. Wherein after having spente some three howers
conference, the twoe Committies brought in their opinions concerning
the twoe former bookes, (the second of which beginneth at these words
of the Charter: And forasmuche as our intente is to establish one
equall and uniforme kinde of government over all Virginia &c.,) w^ch
the whole Assembly, because it was late, deffered to treatt of till
the next morning....
There remaining no 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 submissivily 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.
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