The record-union., 1894-01-20

tuelf own kuOWIeuG6 OF COulIlOH ldHlo
have been committed during their being
church wardens."
The price of pork must have been high
at that time, ii we are TO judge from the
law which enacted that-''Io steal or un-
lawfully Kill any hog that is not his own,
the offender shall pay to the owner one
thousand pounds of tobacco, and as much
to the intormer."
This seems serious enough, but the con-
Guiding clause of the statute makes US
realize the selfish severity of the white
slavery" of those times-a kind of slavery
that has been almost completely forgot
ten. "And in case OF inability shall serve
two years. one TO the owner and one to
the intOrmer."
Marriage, not unnaturally, was looked
| upon as matter of even greater import
ance than baptism. mo marriage shall
be reputed valid in law but such as is
made by the minister according to the
laws of England. And no minister shall
marry any person without license from
the Governor or his deputy, or thrice
publication OF bans, according to the
rubric in the common prayer book. The
minister that doth marry contrary to
this Act shall be fined 10000 pounds of
tobacco"
After man once got into that colony
of Virginia it was quite a serious matter
to get out again, tor he would either have
to btain a pass land it is quite evident
that passes were not lightly granted) or
| be compelled to display great bunch Of
Ieceipted bills. The law reads as fol-
| lows. and it was apparently the intention
| to keep anybody who owed a bill safely
within reach until he paid it. And was
! there ever such quantity severe law as
that III which the matter is treated:
-, IN master OF any ship shall transport
| any person out of this colony without q
! pass, under the Secretary's hand, under
the penalty OF paying all such debts as
any such person shall owe on his depart
ure, and one thousand pounds of tobacco
| to the Secretary"
There was, in those days, no idle senti-
mentality in behalf of offenders: 1.-THE
court in every county shall cause to be
| set up near the courthouse g pillory, a
pair of stocks, whipping post and a
ducking STOOL"
Nor was the ducking stool for orna-
ment only; neither was it set up merely
as an impOtent threat, in the manner, of a
| farmers scarecrow, for the law was:
sin actions of slander occasioned by a
mans wife, after judgment passed for
! damages, the woman shall be punished
| by ducking, and ii the SANDER be such as
the damages shall be adjudged as above
| five hundred pounds Of tobacco, then the
woman shall have ducking for every five
!
against the husband, if he refuses to pay
| the tobacco"
1t was enacted that the Lords day be
| kept only, and that no Journeys be made
on that day except from necessity, land
all persons having no lawful excuse shall
every Sunday resort to the parish church
or chapel, and there abide orderly during
the prayer, preaching and service, upon
the penalty of being tined fifty pounds by
ha ri dc
! referred, no doubt to tobacco.)
From the specific mention Of prayer,
preaching and service, it must be pre-
sumed that the man who went ''just for
the singing" was known in those old
fashioned times as we'll as at present, and
the law makers saw to it that If he went
out Immediately after the opening an
them be would be treated just as if he had
not gone at ALL
This Act was not to extend to "Quak-
ers or other recusants who totally absent
themselves" but they were to be liable
to statute of the twenty-third year of
the reign of Queen Elizabeth, which i'm
posed fine of E20 sterling for every
months absence while, more than this:
"All Quakers assembling in unlawful
conventicles shall be fined, every man so
taken, 200 pounds OF tobacco for every
time of such meeting"
1t is, of course, needless to remark that
the statute of the reign of Elizabeth was
passed before the sect of Quakers eX-
listed, but the Colonial Legislature found
it very convenient to put the old law in
force against the followers OF Fox.
BY 1903 it was deemed necessary to be
more severe with non-conformists. ''It
any Quakers, or other separatists, as
sembled together to the number of five
or more, of the age of l6 years or up
wards, under the pretense of joining in a
religious worship not authorized in Eng
land or this country, the parties so offend
ing shall for the first Otfense forfeit 200
pounds of tobacco; for the second offense
500 pounds of tobacco; to be levied by
warrant upon his goods, or, if unable,
upon the goods of any other separatist
present; and for tue third otiense shall be
banished from the colony of Virginia.
1t was evidently hoped that men of
standing and wealth would be kept from
joining the sect. when it was thus clearly
announced that their fortunes would be
drawn upon to pay the fines of the poorer
brethren. In addition to the above anti
Quaker laws there were other severe
statutes, among which may be mentioned
the following: Every master of ship
that shall bring in any Quaker to reside
here after the lst of July next shall be
fined {, 1000 pounds oftobacco." ''Any per-
son inhabiting this country, and enter
tanning any Quaker in or near his house,
to preach or teach, shall, for every time
of such entertainment, be fined 5000
pounds of tobacco"
1t was naturally considered as in the
early times of any colony, that large
families were to be encouraged rather
than otherwise, and in the case of min
listers the encouragement was to proceed
to the extent of certain degree of i'm
munity from taxation. The exemption
included Officiating ministers and six of
their family" thus leaving the unfortu-
nate seventh, should he happen TO exist
to the mercy of the taX-gatherer.
In 1910 1t was enacted that None but
freeholders and householders shall have
any voice in the election of Burgesses."
and 1t must actually have been at times
the case, difficult though it is for any of
US to realize ii, that there were not as
many candidates as there were offices,
Tor Jaw was made which enacted that
Every county not sending two Bur-
gesses to every session of the Assembly
shall be tined 10000 pounds of tobacco to
he use Of the public''
Tobacco was the universal standard of
value. In 1876 it was enacted that: "The
allowance OF every Burgess shall be one
hundred and twenty pounds of tobacco
and cask per day, to commence two days
before every Assembly and continue two
days thereafter. And for travelling
charges there shall be allowance TO those
that come by land ten pounds of tobacco
for every horse so used, and for water