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| June 21. |
Lord Howard [Governor of Virginia] to Mr. Blathwayt.
I have sent herewith to the Treasury Lords an
accompt of my proceedings as to the collection of
the quit rents for this year which I was forced to
suffer to be after the former method of 2d. per £,
for the King's instructions came so late to my hands
that had I not at a General Court taken order with
the sheriffs to collect it the King [would have] had
none this year, for every person by reason of the
scarcity of tobacco collected their debts or secured
them as soon as possible. I suppose they were
likewise sold to good advantage for I have bills of
exchange from every person though most have
received half the [usual crop of] tobacco. I have
now made public at the last General Court the King's
letter concerning the payment of quit rents and
escheats in money and have taken order accordingly
that all persons provide so to do, but I find it is
impossible for a thorough compliance, here being so
little money in the country and so many having no
trade or correspondence with England. But it
will be all one for I can sell them [i.e. payments in
tobacco] to those that will give good bills of
exchange, if they pay ad valorem; and so [long as]
the price be set by the governor of tobacco, that
will amount to as much. |
Out Letters (Plantations Auditor) I, pp. 178–80. |
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But as to the escheats I have not as yet pursued
the method prescribed in the King's letter: the
reasons I have set down to the Treasury Lords.
If you peruse the last journal of the Assembly you
will find how ungrateful the method was to the
people and how they insisted on the benefit of their
charter, though I am now sensible that it takes no
place [effect] till Lord Colepeper's grant expires
and so (as you intimate) the King may very legally
take them in the same manner during that term.
But the difference will be so small that I believe it
will not be judged worth the altering it from the
method it is now in which, since that Assembly, has
been at the rate of 2 lb. of tobacco for an acre. The
Secretary assures me that when he was employed
by Lord Colepeper, and made any commission for
an escheat he brought it as near as he could to the
value of 2d. [sic? for 2 lb.] per acre, except some
few my Lord gratified his servants with, who rated
them high and as I may say sold them by inch of
candle. Besides all people will never know or
consider the King's right herein, but judge it an
imposition and so may raise dissatisfaction. These
are my sentiments, but I will perform what I am
ordered. |
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From Lord Colepeper's account to the Treasury
you appear to judge the escheats to be very valuable.
I fear, nay, know, they will much fall short of that;
for the reason why they were so considerable to
Lord Colepeper was that the office had not been
open in many years before he came to his government and when it was he made the best of it. As
to those warrants which he said he signed for
inquisition as to escheated lands the Auditor and the
Secretary assure me that most of them were found
not to escheat or [had been] compounded for before.
I confess, if the Northern Neck be bought and
appropriated as the Southern is, there the escheats
will be very considerable, those inhabitants having
not had any office [inquiry] of that nature open
these many years, nor any patents for lands issued
out, so that they are as to that in great dissatisfaction. Many have been with me, but I will not
meddle with it in the least. And as to what my
Lord relates as to the estates of Arnold and Bacon,
the rebels in the rebellion, there has been but 1,100
[lb.] weight of tobacco received this year and that
was [to be] had for himself by the person employed
to follow that business by my Lord [Colepeper] he
being employed by Sir William Berkeley and my
Lord and continued by me, but [he] never had any
satisfaction as yet so that by the time his demands
are satisfied and desperate debts discounted there
will be little or nothing to the King. What there
is I will be accomptable for. There was a mill of
Arnold's but it has been lately burned with all the
materials. |
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Finding that the produce of the quit rents and
other profits (granted by the King to the country)
is to be disposed of by orders from the Treasury
Board I have represented to the Board the necessity
of raising 20 men with a captain and a cornet to be
continually in a readiness, here being nothing to
put a stop to the least disorder if any should happen.
Let the plant cutting be a testimony of the necessity
of them. The revenue will now bear the charge,
being not above 500l. per an. and I am sure the
addition to the revenue will next year be 1,200l.
besides the advantage we all hope from the Northern
Neck. It is a great disgrace to the King and
government that in so considerable a place as this
there should be no one in the King's pay for the
defence of the government and the more secure
ensuring his Majesty's revenue which had been
lessened greatly by the late disorders which had
been easily stopped at first. |
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I have ordered the Auditor to send you the
accompt of 2s. per hogshead as also the accompt of
the quit rents as they will amount this year if
God send us a prosperous year. They will be more
than double the next besides the escheats and the
fines and forfeitures which I believe will be worth
above 100l. per an. when all those that are laid in
the County Courts are converted to the King's use,
as I intend to have an Act passed in the next
Assembly that they shall. But at present they
are accomptable for to the Courts in which they are
levied [and] for public uses. |
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Lord Colepeper left great arrears to be paid:
having the benefit of everything he was unwilling
to pay any salaries, viz. to the gunner at Fort James,
where most of the ships ride [there is an arrear of]
four years' salary at 20l. per an. (I have reduced
him to 15l. [per an.] with promise that he shall
be paid) and three years' salary to Mr. Jennings,
the King's Attorney General, at 20l. per an. which
certainly is too small for that place, especially [if]
not paid. I have paid him whilst I have been
here and have promised his arrears, here being but
little [private legal] business for him to advantage
himself and to support that place. I hope next
year's revenue will clear all [arrears] and settle a
fund in the country. |
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I have desired of the Treasury Lords that we may
have 40 cases of pistols and holsters sent in for the
use of the country, here being not any to be got.
If there be any despatches or orders in relation to
the Assembly which I intend to have about the
beginning of October, send them by the first ship
that I may have time to consider. It is much
against my will to have had one [Assembly] could
I have avoided it but am forced to it for the payment of the soldiers which range for security against
the Indians. "I will put [sic? pull] hard again
the next Assembly to get an Act that the Governor
and Council may have power to lay a levy to such
a proportion that we may not so frequently be
troubled with Assemblies." I have not signed
the warrant for 700l. to Lord Colepeper. It is the
Auditor who is the creditor, he having discharged
[paid] the sloop and the soldiers' quarters. Send
me word whether Lord Colepeper will insist on his
right to the government of Virginia, as that is not
included in the King's agreement with him. I
think it very requisite that the nomination of the
Clerk of the Assembly be in the Governor. Let me
have an order to this effect, if thought fit, before
the next Assembly. |
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| June 23. |
Dormant warrant by Treasurer Rochester to the
Customs Cashier to pay the salary or allowance
of 380l. per an. from Lady day last to Nathll.
Lodington, Consul at Tripoli: as by the privy seal
of April 29 last. |
Money Book VI, p. 112. |
