olitical State."--History of the United States, Vol. I., pp. 460, 461.

The other allusion of Mr. Bancroft to the Parliamentary Act and
Commission of 1643 is in the following words: "_The Commissioners
appointed by Parliament, with unlimited authority over the Plantations_,
found no favour in Virginia. They promised indeed freedom from English
taxation, but this immunity was already enjoyed. They gave the colony
liberty to choose its own Governor, but it had no dislike to Berkeley;
and though there was a party for the Parliament, yet the King's
authority was maintained. The sovereignty of Charles had ever been
mildly exercised."--_Ib._, p. 222.]

[Footnote 84: Hazard, Vol. 1., p. 538; Massachusetts Records. The
working of this Act, and the punishments inflicted under it for more
than twenty years, will be seen hereafter.]

[Footnote 81: This is not quite accurate. The word 'absolute' does not
occur in the patent. The words of the Charter are: "A _free_ Charter of
civil incorporation and government; that they may order and govern their
Plantations in such a manner as to maintain justice and peace, both
among themselves, and towards all men with whom they shall have to
do"--"Provided nevertheless that the said laws, constitutions, and
punishments, for the civil government of said plantations, be
conformable to the laws of England, so far as the nature and
constitution of the place will admit. And always reserving to the said
Earl and Commissioners, and their successors, power and authority for to
dispose the general government of that, as it stands in relation to the
rest of the Plantations in America, as they shall conceive from time to
time most conducing to the general good of the said Plantations, the
honour of his Majesty, and the service of the State."--(Hazard, Vol. I.,
pp. 529-531, where the Charter is printed at length.)]

[Footnote 82: But Mr. Holmes makes explicit mention of the parliamentary
ordinance of 1643 in the following terms:--"The English Parliament
passed an ordinance appointing the Earl of Warwick Governor-in-Chief and
Lord High Admiral of the American Colonies, with a Council of five Peers
and twelve Commoners. It empowered him, in conjunction with his
associates, to examine the state of affairs; to send for papers and
persons, to remove Governors and officers, and appoints other in their
places; and to assign over to these such part of the powers that were
now granted, as he should think proper.