the realm, but then the obligation of these laws does
not arise from their being virtually represented. The American colonies,
excepting the few planted in the eighteenth century, were founded by
private adventurers, who established themselves, without any expense to
the nation, in this uncultivated and almost uninhabited country, so that
they stand on a different foot from the Roman or any ancient colonies.
Men have a natural right to quit their own country and retire to
another, and set up there an independent government for themselves. But
if they have this so absolute a right, they must have the lesser right
to remove, by compact with their sovereign, to a new country, and to
form a civil establishment upon the terms of the compact. The first
Virginia charter was granted to Raleigh by Queen Elizabeth, in 1584, and
by it the new country was granted to him, his heirs and assigns, in
perpetual sovereignty, as fully as the crown could grant, with full
power of legislation and the establishment of a government. The country
was to be united to the realm of England in perfect league and amity;
was to be within the allegiance of the crown, and to be held by homage
and the payment of one-fifth of all gold and silver ore. In the
thirty-first year of Elizabeth's reign, Raleigh assigned the plantation
of Virginia to a company, who afterwards associating other adventurers
with them, procured new charters from James the First, in whom Raleigh's
rights became vested upon his attainder. The charter of James was of the
same character with that of Elizabeth, with an express clause of
exemption forever from all taxation or impost upon their imports or
exports. Under this charter, and the auspices of the company, the colony
of Virginia was settled, after struggling through immense difficulties,
and without receiving the least aid from the British government. In 1621
a government was established, consisting of a governor, council, and
house of burgesses, elected by the freeholders. In 1624 James the First
dissolved the company, and assumed the control of the colony, which,
upon his demise, devolved upon Charles the First, who, in 1625, asserted
his royal claim of authority over it. To quiet the dissatisfaction of
the colonists at the loss of their chartered rights, the privy council
afterwards, in the year 1634, communicated the king's assurance that
"all their estates and trade, freedom and privileges, should be enjoyed
by them in as ext