for us to imagine the disgust, the anger,
possibly even the alarm, with which many may have beheld the floor now
taken, not by Peyton Randolph, nor Richard Bland, nor George Wythe,
nor Edmund Pendleton, but by this new and very unabashed member for
the county of Louisa,--this rustic and clownish youth of the terrible
tongue,--this eloquent but presumptuous stripling, who was absolutely
without training or experience in statesmanship, and was the merest
novice even in the forms of the House.

For what precise purpose the new member had thus ventured to take the
floor, was known at the moment of his rising by only two other
members,--George Johnston, the member for Fairfax, and John Fleming,
the member for Cumberland. But the measureless audacity of his
purpose, as being nothing less than that of assuming the leadership of
the House, and of dictating the policy of Virginia in this stupendous
crisis of its fate, was instantly revealed to all, as he moved a
series of resolutions, which he proceeded to read from the blank leaf
of an old law book, and which, probably, were as follows:--

"_Whereas_, the honorable House of Commons in England have
of late drawn into question how far the General Assembly of
this colony hath power to enact laws for laying of taxes and
imposing duties, payable by the people of this, his
majesty's most ancient colony: for settling and ascertaining
the same to all future times, the House of Burgesses of this
present General Assembly have come to the following
resolves:--

"1. _Resolved_, That the first adventurers and settlers of
this, his majesty's colony and dominion, brought with them
and transmitted to their posterity, and all other his
majesty's subjects, since inhabiting in this, his majesty's
said colony, all the privileges, franchises, and immunities
that have at any time been held, enjoyed, and possessed, by
the people of Great Britain.

"2. _Resolved_, That by two royal charters, granted by king
James the First, the colonists aforesaid are declared
entitled to all the privileges, liberties, and immunities of
denizens and natural born subjects, to all intents and
purposes, as if they had been abiding and born within the
realm of England.

"3. _Resolved_, That the taxation of the people by
themselves or by persons chosen by themselves to represent
them, who can only