The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-07-06
EARLY USE AND GROWING
OF TOBACCO IN VIRGINIA
Many Statutes Enacted in First Days Of the Colony
Regulate Raising and Sale OF the Plant That Was the
Countrvs Weath-Sir Walter and King James,

Tcputc that cling to them forever "A
trade that depends as largely on the
individual taste Of the customer a S does
that in tobacco is peculiarly liable to
sucn abuse and modern instances are
well known
REGULATED BY Law.
To prevent such a, catastrophe. instruc-
tons were sent TO the Governor. Sir
Francis Wyatt. under dato of July 81.
1921. in which he was told to make
small quantity Of tobacco but that very
good" injunction that appears to
have been given more easily than en-
forced. The General Assembly that met
a jamestown on aIarch a. 1879. passed
al act declaring that neglect of the to-
, bscco in the curing hath caused the
same TO bee OF base price ana small
sleeme "a tho ci,crcditt and disadvant-
aga of the w?olo co,ony in general, for
the preventing and avoydlug thereof
1t IS thought Mt and accordingly order
cd. That zoe person whatsoever shall
plan: or tendc above two thousand
plants OF robaccos for every heade with
in his family. including woemen and
children. And to Tho intent that noe
tobscooe of bad condition may be trans
ported out of this country. 1t is further
ordered. That ii any man hereafter shall
make any bad or i'll conditioned to-
baccoe and offer TO pay away the same
10 any person or persons, eyther for
debts. merchandise or any other COM
modities. it shall! be lawful for the com
.naHder OF every plantation with two
or three discreete men of the said plan
tstion upon view thereof to burne the
same. And the parte that Shall be
found delinquent in any particle OF this
order shall bee hereby barred from plant
ing any tobaccoe until hee bee read
- l, IL n
n1itted by gen raj Assembly, Hen
nings Statutes at Large, Vol. l., page
1872
*Henning.s Statutes at Large. Vol, l.,
page 152.
In 1881 the planters were still more rightly
restricted. for not only were they not
permitted to raise more than two thou
sand plants per capita, but 1t was made
unlawful TO grow more than fourteen
leaves or TO gather more than nine
leaves from each plant. For violating
this law. servants We're to be punished
by being whipped, and the maysteT
was TO be bound over unto the next
quarter cort al James City, to be CEN
tured by the Governor and Counsell
1t was also ordered that all tobacco
shall be taken downe before the end of
November. or else not to be adJudged
or accounted marchantab-e."
NO BRlChS 1MtCa LED.
There We're no manufactures of any
sort in the colony, and it was therefore
dependent on the mother country for
such goods. There is a tradition that
the bricks of which many of the colonial
houses in Virginia are constructed were
brought from England. but it is utterly
untrue. The error arose from a misun-
Outstanding of a technical term. as
bricks of the size and shape generally
Iicj, -a' CT n
them from those of different proportions,
and the term acquired the meaning Of
bricks, from England. a new country
Astounding in clay, and in which clay
pipe-nla king was a leading industry, was
not likely To import bricks. while so
many more valuable articles We're need
ed and Furthermore. the traces Of the
llilns in which the brick were made are
still discoverable on many OF the old es-
tates. So pressing was the need of man
ufacturad goods that the assembly or
dered that the amount of freight that
vessels should be permitted to receive
should not exceed the amount that had
been imported in them, and forbddins
any cargo to be laden in ships that came
empty Every vessel or ship coming
ont Of the ocean" was required TO pay
n tonnage tax consisting of .'one Darrell
of e-lnpowder containing 100 pounds. and
ten iron shot for ordinance for every
hundred tuns of hurthen, to be for the
Use of the fort a Poynt Comfort. and so
TO be accounted proportionabiy be the
shin or harGue bigger or lesser Inc
Importance Of the fort is shown by an
act. PASSED at the same session. that re-
oniraa each new conner to pay siXty-four
noDn6s Of tobacco out of the first crop
for the .'Inavntenance'' of the post. and
vi any surplusage shall remayne over
and above the maintenance of the fort
X is thought fit. that 1000 pounds OF To-
bacco be allowed out Of this levy OF Of
pounds of tobacco unto the interpreter
Who snail be resident with the Cover
nor"
The colonial laws endeavored to leave
no one,,ing bv which q. dishonest planter
might defraud the commonwealth. Not
content with restricting the NUMBER OF
plants, TO be grown, and the number OF
leaves to be gathered from u plant the
Assembly enacted still more rigorous
laws in February 1898. It was then de-
ter1nined that FOR the better UNFOLDING
TIM price OF this commoditie and that
+nn,r may. follow woTkes Of better con-
SEQUENCE there shall be appointed
five stores hereafter specified unto which
the planters shall be obliged TO brlnge
i, all there tobaccoes before the last
day of December, and in the same stores
TO be repac..e>-. viewed ana tryed by
swOrne men appCNnlSd loI thae Pol p''s.
who shall be one at least of the COUNSEL
whose dwellinge is nearest to that place;
10 whom shall be joyned assistants
who shall once wceke or ottener VI
needa require take we've of such tohac-
Goes az is brought H. cause all the badd
and i'll conditioned tobaccoes lnstantlle
to be burnt and the planters thereon TO
be DISABLED further from plantinse any
more OF, that commoditie CT tobacco. ;"
When it had been approved by the in
s5ectors. the tobacco was received and
stored until exported and the planter
received Il certificate of the amount of
his deposit In this way the storehouses
took the place Of banks, and as all debts.
public and private, were payable in to-
bacco. unless otherwise specified, the in
spectors filled places Of great response
bility They were the tellers and cash
iers of the day. and We're in way the
assayers of the mint as we'll.
UNSTABLE STANDARD.
With such a currency it was very diff
cult TO maintain fixed. value.
as the fiat of the colonial gov
eminent proved inefficient. The
authorities required all goods i'm