d Felons; and
in _Virginia_ should there be appointed proper Persons to take Care of
them, manage, and employ them, who should have Salaries for their
Trouble, paid out of the Returns made by the Labour of the Servants
under their Care; and the Overplus, which in a small Time might prove
very considerable, should belong to the respective County that
transported such Servants, by which Means Funds might easily be raised
in every County or Shire to defray all their publick Expences and
Charges, from the Labour of their Rogues and Beggars, without any
Contribution or Tax of honest and industrious People. But to prevent
Disorder and Mischief among such, they that should be sent over for
little or no Faults but Idleness, should meet with all civil Treatment
and Encouragement, when they did their Endeavours, but undergo the
Severities of _Bridewell_ for their Faults or great Neglect. But such
notorious Villains as are sent over in Chains for Robbery or Murder,
_&c._ should be kept a-part, and in Chains still, and be made Servants
for Life, lest they corrupt the rest, or commit greater Robberies or
Murders than ever they did before; which for want of more Care and
greater Confinement of such Rogues too frequently happen, as they are
now managed.

However, this Rigour might be occasionally abated, when any appear to be
proper Objects of Mercy and Charity; but this should be done with the
Leave of the Government _there_, and Care should be taken of them both
as to their Labour and Provision, and Security should be contrived
against any Danger that may proceed from thence.

I cannot here omit mentioning a late Design of seating all Convicts that
should be imported into _Virginia_, in a County by themselves, under the
Care of proper Overseers, who should confine them from doing any Hurt,
and keep them to their Labour, by such Methods as are used in
_Bridewell_.

The Land intended for this new County is very good, and fit to produce
Hemp and Flax, which they were there solely to cultivate and
manufacture; from whence the County was designed to be called
_Hempshire_.

Tho' this Project was never put in Execution, yet I am of Opinion that
something of this Nature would be very advantageous in securing and
employing our Felons, and for our better Supply of Cordage in our Naval
Stores, and making of Linen of all Sorts.

The last Sort of Servants that I should be for sending over to
_Virginia_ (besides such as are sent by the Met