re prohibited from buying Christian
servants, but were allowed to buy those of their own nation. Negro
children imported had their ages recorded by the court, and became
tithable at the age of twelve years. In June, 1680, an act was passed
for preventing an insurrection of the negro slaves, and it was ordered
that it should be published twice a year at the county courts of the
parish churches.[332:C] Negroes were not allowed to remain on another
plantation more than four hours without leave of the owner or overseer.

After "his excellency," Lord Culpepper, went away from Virginia in
August, 1680, leaving Sir Henry Chicheley deputy governor, tranquillity
prevailed until the time for shipping tobacco in the following year,
when the trade was greatly obstructed by the act for establishing towns,
which required vessels to be laden at certain specified places. The act
being found impracticable, was disobeyed, and much disturbance ensued.
In compliance with the petitions of several dissatisfied counties, an
assembly was called together in April, 1682, by Sir Henry Chicheley,
without the consent of the council. The session being occupied in
agitating debates, the body was dissolved, and another summoned,
according to an order just received from the crown, to meet in November,
1682, by which time Culpepper was commanded to return to Virginia. The
disaffected in the petitioning counties, Gloucester, New Kent, and
Middlesex, in May proceeded riotously to cut up the tobacco-plants in
the beds, especially the sweet-scented, which was produced nowhere else.
To put a stop to this outbreak, the deputy governor issued sundry
proclamations.[333:A]

Lord Culpepper having arrived, the assembly met shortly afterwards. He
demanded of the council an account of their administration during his
absence, and it was rendered. In his address to the assembly, he
enlarged upon the king's generous and undeserved concessions to the
colony; he announced the king's high displeasure at the declaration made
by them that the seizing of their records by the king's commissioners
was an unwarrantable violation of their privileges, and, in the king's
name, ordered the same to be expunged from the journal of the house, and
proposed to them a bill asserting the right of the king and his officers
to call for all their records and journals whenever they should think it
necessary for the public service.

The governor claiming authority to raise the value of the c