rst
instance, like that of the king of England, to bestow livings of which
he himself is patron; the commissary was of opinion that the governor's
power corresponded to that of the bishop, not being original, but only
consequent upon a lapse; that is, a failure of the vestry to present
within the time limited by law. Commissary Blair, throughout these angry
controversies, in the course of which he was very badly treated by the
governor and the clergy, bore himself with singular ability and
excellent temper, and proved himself more than a match for his
opponents.[402:A]

Predatory parties of the Five Nations were repelled by force, and
conciliated by presents. The frontier of Virginia was extended to the
foot of the Blue Ridge, and two new Piedmont counties, Spotsylvania and
Brunswick, were established in 1720--the seventh year of George the
First.[402:B] Spotsylvania included the northern pass through the
mountains. At the special solicitation of the governor, the two counties
were exempted from taxation for ten years. An act was passed imposing
penalties on "whosoever shall weed, top, hill, succor, house, cure,
strip or pack any seconds, suckers, or slips of tobacco." Two hundred
pounds of tobacco were offered in reward for every wolf killed.
Warehouses for storing tobacco and other merchandize, when first
established in 1712, were denominated rolling-houses, from the mode of
rolling the tobacco to market, before wagons came into general use or
the navigation of the rivers improved. This mode of transporting tobacco
prevailed generally in 1820, and later.[403:A] Tobacco warehouses in
Virginia are now devoted exclusively to that commodity. In 1720, King
George County was carved off from Richmond County, and Hanover from New
Kent. A house for the governor was completed about this time. An act was
passed to encourage the making of tar and hemp, and another to oblige
ships coming from places infected with the plague to perform quarantine.
The Indians of the Five Nations, warring with the Southern Indians for
many years, had been in the habit of marching along the frontier of
Virginia and committing depredations. To prevent this, a treaty was
effected with them, whereby they bound themselves not to cross Potomac
River, nor to pass to the eastward of the great ridge of mountains,
without a passport from the Governor of New York; and, on the other
hand, the Indians tributary to this government engaged not to pass over
the Po