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Show 12' I 759• V I R G I N I A. Viroinia is divided into fifty-two counties, and feventy-feven• b pari£hes, and by aCl: of a!rembly there ought to be forty-four towns ; but one half of thefe have not more than five houfes; and the other half are little better than inconfiderable villages. This is owing to the cheapnefs of land, and the commodioufnefs of navigation : for every perfon may with eafe procure a f~all plantation, can iliip his tobacco at his own door, and live independent. When the colony !hall come to be more thick]~ feated, and land grow dear, people will be obliged to follow trades and manufactures, which will neceifarily make towns and large cities; but this feems remote, and not likely to happen for fome centuries. The inhabitants are fuppofed to be in number between two· and three hundred thoufand. There are a hundred and five thoufand titheables, under which denomination are included allwhite males from flxteen to fixty; and all negroes whatfoever within the fame age. The former are obliged to ferve in the militia, and amount to forty thoufand. The trade of this colony is large and extenfive. Tobacco is the principal article of it. Of this they export annually be-· tween fifty and fixty thoufand hogilieads, each hog£head weighing eight hundred or a thoufand weight : fome years they export much more. They thip alfo for the Madeiras, the Streights, and the Weft-Indies, feveral articles, fuch as grain~ , pork, lumber, and cycler: to Great Britain, bar-iron, indigo, • and a fmall quantity of ginfeng, though of an inferior quality; . and they clear out one year with another about ton of {hipping. Their manufactures are very inconfiderable. They make a kind of cotton-cloth, with which they clothe themfelves in common, and call after the name of their country; and fome . mcon-- V I R G I N I A. inconliderable quantities of linen, hofe, and other trifling articles : but nothing to deferve attention. The government is a royal one: the legiilature, confilting of a governor appointed by the king; a council of twelve perfons, tlllder the fame nomination ; and a houfe of burgeifes, or reprefentatives, of a hundred and eight or ten members, eJeCl:ed by the people; two for each county, and one for each of the following places, viz. the College of William and Mary, James-town, Norfolk-borough, and William!burg. Each branch has a negative.-All laws in order to be permanent, mull: have the king's approbation; nor mufl: any be enacted, which may be repugnant to the laws of Great Britain. The courts of judicature are either county, or general courts. The county courts are held monthly in each county, at a place affigned for that purpofe,. by the j ufi:ices thereof: four of them making a quorum. They are appointed by the governor, and take cognizance of all caufes, at common law, or in chancery, within their refpettive counties, ex;cept criminal ones, punilhable with lofs of life, or member. This power they are not permitted to exercife except over negroes and llaves, and then not without a fpecial commiffion from the governor for each· partie ular purpofe ~. The general court is held twice a year * How neceifary it may be that they lhould have fuch a power, even in this cafe, I will not pretend to fay? but the law which transfers it to them feems fo inconfifl:ent with the natural rights of mankind, that I cannot but in pity to humanity recite it, " Every !lave committing any offence, by law punilhable by death, or Iofs N of member, lhall be committed to the county goal, and the lheriff of the ~' county lhall forthwith certify fuch commitment, with the caufe thereof,_ " to the governor, or commander in chief, who may i!fue a commi.ffion of · " oyer and terminer tp fuch perfons as he lhall think fit, which perfons, forthH .. with after the receiHt of fuch commi.ffion, £hall caufe the offender to be· |