The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-06-29


They were required to publish the names
of all transgressors, that the country
might know their friends from lhelr
foes. This you were pleased to term
inviting the vengeance Of la"less
mob to be exercised upon the unhappy
victims" You further represented these
committees as assuming an authority 70
inspect the books, invoices and all the
secrets Of the trade and correspondence
of merchants. This, my Lord, was high
coloring of assumed facts, which we VINO
inhabit different parts of the country us
strangers to. To close your narrauve
upon this head, you were pleased 70 IN.
form your noble CORRESPONDENT .l.ae
every Country In this colony was arm !,
Ing company of men, whom they. can
an independent company, for the aHoWeo
purpose Of protecting their comnlttees
and to be employed against goVeri11lellA't'
if occasion required and that the COM
mittee of one country had proceeue.a ~
far as to swear the men OF tnelr llue-
pendent company to execute aii 1A
DESERVE NO CREDIT.
These. my Lord, are things entirely
without our knowledge, and. upon the
strictest inquiry. we are conVlnceu t sN..,
deserve no credit. There were rev
companies of gentlemen formed VINO
were desirous Of perfecting themselves
in military exercise; but we f1nd not
more than six or seven throughout the
whole colony. which consists of sixty
one counties. This was designated 10
distinguish them from the militia at
large; the first and most consloeraol9
of these was instituted for the better
protection Of the inhabitants of Norfolk
borough, and afterwards received your
Lordship's appreciation. so far that you
expressed the warmest wishes that the
example might be followed throughout
the country, and gave commissions 70
their officers. That these companies
were connected with the committees, or
that they were ever designed to act
against or in any sort interfere with
what you are pleased to call govern
ment. we do not know, or believe; but,
on the contrary. we are vefl1y per-
suaded that they were always ready
and willing to exert themselves to sup
port the laws and his Majesty's gov
eminent to the utmost of their power.
Your Lordship's assertion that the
t'power of government was entirely dls-
regarded If not wholly overturned, and
that there was not a justice or the peace
in Virginia who acted except as COM
mitteeman," we cannot but consider as
highly unjust and extremely Injurious
to u.s. We have the greatest reason to
believe. having it in full proof. that the
magistrates throughout the colony duly
attended their respective courts. ana
though. for the reasons assigned IN our
former address to your Lordship, they
could not think themselves legally au-
SUITS yet we are persuaded that their
former endeavors to preserve the peace
and good order Of government were not
interrupted, but exerted in the usual
manner The original cause of sus-.
pending the trials of civil disputes was,
as your Lordship observes. the want OF
a fee bill. This legal defect was much
lamented, and not used, that we know
of, as a popular argument by any man
OF good sense; nor did the inhabitants
Of this country join, in what you are
pleased to call an approbrious measure,
to engage their English creditors to
ioin the clamours Of this country" Your
Lordship's assertion, that mot q few
did. it to avoid paying their debts, In
which many of the principal people
here are much involved" we can only
answer for ourselves in the negative.
and must consider so indiscrim1nate q
charge as extremely injurious. We were
so far from desiring to do injustice to
creditors, that it gave US great pain
that such step was thought necessary,
and nothing but the hopes of being re-
lieved from the arbitrary system Of
colony government, attempted to be In
troduced, could have prevailed with us
to submit to a stoppage of our exports.
The merchants Of London, in their writ.
ten message, by a respectable member
Of their body, to the committee of the
House Of Commons, have done us ample
justice in this respect. by representing
that they should have no uneasiness
about remittances from America. un-
less Parliament pursued such means as
were likely to prevent them. The Con-
gress, my Lord, we consider as instituted
on principles of public necessity: we do
not deny our having a proper respect
for that body; we learn, from good au-
thority, that their humble and dutiful
petition to his Majesty was graciously
received, though it is with concern we
are told it has hitherto produced no good
effect. But that the inhabitants of Viz
ginia treated with marks of reverence
the laws of the Congress. which they
never bestowed on their legal govern
ment, or the laws proceeding from 1t"
&c i one Of a great number Of facts re-
curing proof, since we must take leave
to say, with confidence, that his Ma
iesty's subjects of Virginia have been
second to none others, even to his dutl-
full and loyal subjects IN any part OF
his wide-extended dominions. in all que
respect to his government. Governors
and all in authority under him.
We cannot Out tIe1Illl1A - y ouA SN.'F
Of the General Congress held in America,
With the royal appreciation. In the last
war. The united interest, indeed. OF
Great Brit in, and the colonies might
have then demanded it. In imitation OF
50 laudable an example, America resolved
on a like measure, as equally, II not
more necessary, at this critical iounctuEe.5
Your (lordship's account Of the effects
TIA association is likely to produce. con-
sidering it as a matter Of opinion, We
arc little concerned to interfere with.
Time only can discover the consequences
of it; but your. heavy charge against
tlose called people of fortune, that they
supply themselves and negroes for two
or three years. to the distresses Of the
Kidding and poorer sort, must have
proceeded from your giving too easy
credit to fl-founded reports. Some. but
very few, may have supplied themselves,
as opportunity offered. for the present
year This, we believe; is the most that
has been done; and we are persuaded
CT material mistake in another re-
spect. it being the genera! opinion. found
cd on good grounds, that the middling
and poorer sort will fare much better
than those Of fortune, who have large
MURDERS OF slaves to provide for, En-
gagged on this topic, we cannot refrain
from observing how strangely our views