o enjoy his lands as amply as
any lord of a manor in England, adding, "the least the Assembly can
allege against this clause is, that it is obscure, and that it is a
thing impossible for us here to know the prerogatives of all the manors
in England." And they prayed that the clause in the charter guaranteeing
equal liberties and immunities to grantees, might not be violated, so as
to "divert out of the true course the free and public current of
justice." Thus did the first Assembly of Virginia insist upon the
principle of the Declaration of Rights of 1776, that "no man or set of
men are entitled to exclusive or separate emoluments or privileges from
the community, but in consideration of public services." Certain of the
instructions sent out from England were "drawn into laws" for protection
of the Indians from injury, and regulating intercourse with them, and
educating their children, and preparing some of the most promising boys
"for the college intended for them; that from thence they may be sent to
that work of conversion;" for regulating agriculture, tobacco, and
sassafras, then the chief merchantable commodities raised. Upon Captain
Powell's petition, "a lewd and treacherous servant of his" was sentenced
to stand for four days with his ears nailed to the pillory, and be
whipped each day. John Rolfe complained that Captain Martin had made
unjust charges against him, and cast "some aspersion upon the present
government, which is the most temperate and just that ever was in this
country--too mild, indeed, for many of this colony, whom unwonted
liberty hath made insolent, and not to know themselves." On the last day
of the session were enacted such laws as issued "out of every man's
private conceit." "It shall be free for every man to trade with the
Indians, servants only excepted upon pain of whipping, unless the master
will redeem it off with the payment of an angel." "No man to sell or
give any of the greater hoes to the Indians, or any English dog of
quality, as a mastiff, greyhound, bloodhound, land or water spaniel."
Any man selling arms or ammunition to the Indians, to be hanged so soon
as the fact is proved. All ministers shall duly "read divine service,
and exercise their ministerial function according to the ecclesiastical
laws and orders of the Church of England, and every Sunday, in the
afternoon, shall catechise such as are not ripe to come to the
communion." All persons going up or down the James River wer