r, and their efforts, though long fruitless, seemed at
length about to be crowned with success, when the news of Bacon's
rebellion furnished the government with a new pretext for violating its
engagements. By the report of the committee for plantations, adopted by
the king in council, and twice ordered to be passed into a new charter
under the great seal, it was provided, "that no imposition or taxes
shall be laid or imposed upon the inhabitants and proprietors there, but
by the common consent of the governor, council, and burgesses, as hath
been heretofore used," reserving, however, to parliament the right to
lay duties upon commodities shipped from the colony. The news of the
rebellion frustrated this scheme; the promised charter slept in the
Hamper[326:A] office; and the one actually sent afterwards was meagre
and unsatisfactory. Colonel Jeffreys, successor to Berkley, effected a
treaty of peace with the Indians, each town agreeing to pay three arrows
for their land, and twenty beaver skins for protection, every year. He
convened an assembly at the house of Captain Otho Thorpe, at Middle
Plantation, in October, 1677, being the twenty-ninth year of Charles the
Second. William Traverse was speaker, and Robert Beverley clerk. The
session lasted for one month. According to instructions given to Sir
William Berkley, dated in November, 1676, the governor was no longer
obliged to call an assembly yearly, but only once in two years, and the
session was limited to fourteen days, unless the governor should see
good cause to continue it beyond that time; and the members of the
assembly were to be elected only by freeholders. During this session
regulations were adopted for the Indian trade, and fairs appointed for
the sale of Indian commodities; but the natives being suspicious of
innovations, these provisions soon became obsolete.

In 1677 Colonel Nathaniel Bacon, Sr., by a warrant from the treasury in
England, was appointed auditor of the public accounts. At this time
Colonel Norwood was treasurer, but the governor and council, from
motives of economy, united his office with that of auditor.

It has before been mentioned that the king, by proclamation in 1677,
revoked and abrogated Sir William Berkley's proclamation of February of
the same year, as containing "an exception and exclusion from pardon of
divers and sundry persons in his said proclamation named, for which he
hath no ground or authority from our foresaid proclamat