The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-17

MA. 3
Early in tic acts Of the Assembly could be discovered
the restless spirit that reached afoctmc for emancipation
from the control Of the mother country One Of the most
OF this Assembly the courage with which they ventured
70 ask that they might have the right to their laws
without the interference and supervision the part Of the
London Company. The first Assembly passed the following
significant resolution:
"Thc General Assembly doth umby bcseechc sadie
COUNSEL and that albeit it beongeth TO them
only to allow abrogatc awes which shall here make
have brought light to and be Of force
tn suee time as we may kowe and further pleasures on 9.
gotten Of former servude into their swindgc)
would in short time as that they would shake
OF all and there would be no living among them
Our humble suite that the saidc COUNSEL and company
would be pleased they shall find it convenient to
make good their promise set them at the conclusion Of their
commission for establishing the COUNSEL Of state and the
General Assembly, namely that they will give the power
e allow disaow all their orders Of courts Majesty
hath given them power to allow or reject our lawes'
Here indeed, is the sowing OF the seed from which great
be reaped future day. bur here in
deed embryo the sentmenand the force that should
afterwards result in the throwing off Of British authority and
in the establishment Of American independence.
The requests that they BE- granted the privilege to dsa
seemed exceedingly presumpuous and impairment and yet
from this position taken the outset to be with
departed early as 1924 they that the Governor
shall lay any impostons the colony them
eral Ass,bly to levied employed the said Assem-
bly, shall appoint" These almost the precise words used
rights to Charles l. The principle re-enactcd IN
1631 again again and Still again in 1916 and
again the Articles Of Agreement Of 1852 between commits.
soners representing the Commonwealth OF England and
Cromwell and "Grand Assembly Of the Governor Coun-
Gill Burgesses OF Vrgna in which articles found
these That Virginia shall be free from all taxes
and mposons whatsoever and none to be imposed on
them without Of the Grand Assembly,. in passing
it worthy OF that the term General Assembly was
used till September 1922 after which the Grand As
sembly' used till 1885, when the former tern, re-
It also about this time that the General Assembly
be composed Of two distinct houses the Council
Sitting the upper house and the 'Burgcsses lower
house the lower house. often spoken Of as the
ouse Burgesses that stood firmly for the rights Of
It this body that gave Governor Berkeley
to understands ways could not be misconstrued that
no taxes whatever could be raised by approval
This claim Virginia surrendered and when the stamp
Act was passed 1905 Patrick Henry in his famous Resou-
simply reiterated Virgnia's position taken many
times before when declared tat the General Assembly
this colony have the sole right and to lay taxes and
mpositons the inhabitants Of this colony and that
every attempt such power in person persons
Whatsoever other than the General Assembly aforesaid
manifest tendency destroy British we'll as American
freedom"
From such expressions these it that the
establishment Of the first General Assembly vital and
an important the history Of Virginia and of America
Its establishment be regarded Of the results OF
the struggle extending through many in England Tor
popular rights and liberties In the latter years OF its exls
tence the courts of the London Company to be the
frankness the divine rights Of kings In those years there
was an undisguised and persistent hatred OF the Stuart Ing
The Liberal party in Parliament, always at deadly conflict
with James L. had representatives III the menDes1[
and control London Company and when their voices
sled in Parliament they found the courts Of the Lon