ally found
intruding upon the plantation divers ships, surruptitiously carrying
away the growth thereof to foreign ports to the prejudice of this
Commonwealth."[4-36]

Thus in the years prior to the Restoration Virginia was never fully
subjected to the operation of the British colonial system. When the
price of tobacco in the London market fell lower and lower, the planters
might and often did find relief by defying the King's commands and
trading directly with the Dutch.[4-37] And this benefitted them doubly,
for not only did they strike a better bargain with the foreign traders,
but every cargo of tobacco diverted from England tended to relieve the
market there and restore prices. In fact there can be little doubt that
the frequent violations of the trade restrictions of this period alone
saved the colony from the poverty and distress of later days and made
possible the prosperity enjoyed by the planters.

It must be noted also that of the tobacco sent to England itself, a part
was reshipped to foreign countries. In 1610 a law was enacted for the
refunding of all import duties upon articles that were re-exported. This
drawback applied also to colonial products, but under Charles I an
exception was made in their case and the privilege withdrawn. In
consequence the importers made a vigorous protest in Parliament, and the
King, in 1631, modified his policy by ordering that of the nine pence
duty then in operation, six pence should be refunded when the tobacco
was shipped abroad. In 1632 the drawback was increased to seven pence
leaving the total duty paid by the merchants who traded through England
to foreign countries two pence a pound only.[4-38] Although this
constituted a most serious obstacle to trade and at times aroused the
merchants to bitter protest, it by no means completely blocked
re-exportation. So great were the natural qualifications of Virginia for
producing tobacco, that it was possible to purchase a cargo from the
planters on the James, proceed with it to London, pay there the two
pence a pound duty, reship it to the continent and sell it there at a
profit.[4-39] Although this trade was not extensive, it must have had an
important influence in maintaining prices and in bringing prosperity to
all classes in the colony.

Thus Virginia, contrary to the wishes of the mother country and in
defiance of her regulations, enjoyed for its staple product in the years
prior to 1660, a world market. Whether by di