The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-07-06

1858. it was raised to nine pence, and the
inws against private traffic were made
more stringent.
The temptation to break these laws was
very great, for the time. labor and trou-
bic required to go to jamestown and re-
turn with the purchases, must have been |
considerable item to the planters and |
the ship owners as we'll. Violations soon |
became frequent and in August. $685. the
Assembly passed the following act:
Whereas, it appeareth plainelie that
divers, captaynes, masters, officers. say [
lors and owners of shippes. barques
boates, or vessels have Notwithstanding
strict lawes made to the contrary, made
contracts, sales. and delivered many
goods after THERE arrival at Poynt
Comfort, before THERE castinge anchor
at James City, for the, prevention OF the
like abuses hereafter. it is ordered by
this Grand Assembly. That all and ev-
cry shipp, barque. boate. or vessel ar
rivinge at Poynt Comfort. shall have
sufficient wayter put aborde from the
fort, and not to depart out Of the said
shipp, barque. boate or vessel. until she
arrive al the port of James City. which
wayter shall see that there be no breach
Of any Of the acts by them the cap
tynes, masters. officers. saylors. and own
ers. of any goods shipt or laden in any
of the said ships, barques. boates, or
Vessells"
AT the time when these laws were
made, the trade in tobacco was q. mo-
nopoly to degree that has been equalled
by few articles in the whole of CONNER
cial history. Not only was Virginia al
most alone in its systematic. civilization
but the maritime laws prevented any
but English colonies from trading with
England and SO excluded any. Spanish
competition. 1t seems that II human
decree can fix the price of any commo-
dty whatever, it might have done so
with that of tobacco, but laws of Ma
ture proved as obdurate to the acts of
the colonial Assembly as to acts of Con-
gress in our day. The price of any ar
ticle is the measure Of its value, and the
value depends on the relation between
the demand for it and the extent to
which it can be supplied. When the re-
lation is fixed the price is fixed. and I'M
der no other circumstances. AS the de-
Nand could not be affected, the colo
nists attempted to reduce the supply. and
on the 9th Of January, 1888, under Sir
Francis Wyatt as Governor. the Assem-
bly, enacted the law that follows:
TOBACCO by reason of excessive
quantities made beinge soc low that the
planters could not subsist by 1t or be
inabled to raise more staple commodities
or pay their debts. Enacted. that the
tobacco of that year be viewed by sworn
viewers and the rotten and unmerchant-
able and half the good to be burned so
the whole quantitie made would come
to 100000 without stripping and 50; ooth-
ing: and next 2 years 10 pounds tobacco
per poll stript and smoothed was to be
mad. which would make in the whole
about $4,000 pounds, and all creditors
were to take 40 pounds for hundred.
1t was ordered that tobacco made IN
1910 was not to be SOLD Tor less imam
twelve pence per pound, and that the
shillings under penalty of forfeiting the
whole crop. Such enactments might De
thought oppressive and in restraint OF
trade" but the planters perceived the
wide difference that lies between COM
biration to raise the price Of what is to
be sold and one that affects the price OF
what is to be bought.
In June. 1850. the Assembly passed an act
esta blishing q number Of towns IN the
several counties and directing that
there be within two months next and
Immediately after the publication hereof
in every respective county within this
His Majesty's colony fifty acres OF land
purchased by the officers OF the several
counties at the rates hersa tier set
dovne" The rate was fixed a tenn
thousand pounds of tobacco and caske,
which summe the owner or owners there,
of shall be and are hereby constrained
to accept take and receive a s a full ana
valuable price and consideration Tor the
said land forever" The protected towns
were to be laid out on these tracts, and
in each of them. a storehouse was to be
built. in which all produce intended for
export had TO be deposited Nothing
could be shipped or sold at any other
Mace than one of these store houses, and
no goods of any kind could be landed else
where under penalty Of forfeiture OF the
goods This act did not cause any trouble
until the time for shipping tobacco in
1851. when a. storm burst When the to,
hacco was brought to the appointed
MA ces. there We're no store houses to re-
ceiye it and no shelter for themselves
or their produce Under these circum
stances. the people resolved to ignore
the law and trade as usual. for which
they got into trouble. The law gave half
of the forfeited goods to the informer, ana
many prosecutions We're merely the re
suit of private greed. The low price OF
tobacco added to the discomfort and sew
eral counties Joined in petition to the
governor to call an Assembly to forbid
growing tobacco for a. year. The meet
ing was called but no action was taken.
Whereupon the people in Gloucester. New
Kent and Niddlesex counties took the law
into their own hands. They cut the to-
hacco plants then growing and utterly
DESTROYED the crop of the sweet scented
variety that was not produced else
where and order was restored with diff
cultv. The ring leaders We're arrested and
tried for treason and after several OF
them had been hanged the tnullllt sub
sided and neace returned TO Virginia
CHAS NJ. BLACkFORD, JR.. NJ. D.
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