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Show 1159· v· I' R G I N I N.. fuperinte nd the whole, and to read four theological leCtures annually. He has a handfome hou[e to live in, :md zool. iterling per annum. The profeffor of the In ian fchool has 6ol. fierlino-, and a houfe alfo j his bufinefs is to infirutt the Indians ~1 reading, writin g, and the principles of the Chriftian religion : this pious inftitution was fet on foot and promoted by the excellent Mr. Boyle. The profeffor of humanity has the care of infhuchng the fiudents in claffical learning: he has an ufher or affifiant under him. The fo ur other profeffors teach moral philofophy, metaphyfics, mathematics, and diV'li1Ity. Each of the profeffors has apartments ip the college, and a falary of about Sol. per annum~. The prefent ch:;lncellor of the college is the bifhop of London. From what has been [aid of this colony, it will not be d~fficu1t to form an idea of the charafrer t of its inhabitants. The climate and external appearance of the country confpire to make them indolent, eafy, and good-natured; extremely fond o.f fociety, and much given to convivial pleafures. In confequence of this, they feldom fhow any fpirit of enterprize, or expofe themfelves willingly to fatigue. Their authority over their flaves renders them vain and imperious, . ~.nd entire ftrang~rs to that elegance of fentiment, which is fo peculiarly. characterifiic of refined and polifhed nations. Their jgnorance of mankind and of learning, expofes them to many errors and . prejudices, efpecially in regard to Indians and Negroes, whom . they fcarcely confider as of the human fpccies ; [o that it is a1mofi: impof.lible, in cafes of violence, or even murder, . committed upon thofe unhappy people by any of the planters, to have the delinquents brought to ju11ice. For either the ~ * They have been fince raif~d, I believe, to Jool. t General characters are always liable to many exceptions. In Virginia I ave had the pleafure to know feveral gentlemen adorned with many virtues and «ccomplilhments, to wl10m the following defcrip~io11 is by no means applicable. g:and I R G I N I A. grand jury refufe to find the biii, or the petit jury bring in their verdiCt, not guilty *. !he difplay of a charaCter thus conil:ituted, will naturally be 111 acts of extravagance, ofientation, and a difi·egard of a::conomy; it is not extraordinary, therefore, that the Virginians outrun their incomes; and that having involved themfelves in difficulties, they are frequently tempted to raife money by bills of exchange, which they know will be returned protefied, with Io per cent. intereil: f. * There arc two laws in this colony, which make it almofl: impollible t() convi Ct a planter, or white man, of the death of a Negroe or Indian. By the h1 fi it is enaCl ed, t hat " if any flave fhall die by re afon of any flroke " or bl ow, given in correCtion by his or her owner, or by reafon of any ac" ci dental blow whatfoever, given by fuch owner; no perfon concerned in " fuch correCl ion, or . accidental homicide, fhall undergo any profecution " or punilhment for the fame; unlefs, upon examination before the " county court, it lhall be proved by the oath of one lawful and credible " witne fs , at leafi, that fuch flave was killed wilfully, malicioufly, and de. " fi g nedly; nor £hall any perfon indiCted for the murder of a flave, and " upon trial found guilty only of manflaughter, incur any forfeiture or puH nifhment for fuch ofFence or misfortune." See Mercer's Abridgment, p. 345· By the fecond, " No Negro, 1\llulatto, or Indian, can be ad" mitted in any court, or before any migi!l:rate, to be fworn as a witncfs, " or give evidence in any caufe whatfoever, except upon the trial of a ilave " for a capital offence. Niercer's Abridgment, p. 419. t By an aCt of alfembly, if any bill of exchange is drawn for the payment of any fum of money, and fuch bill is prote!l:ed for non-acceptance or non-payment, it carries intcre!l: from the date thereof, after the rate of 10 per cent. per annum, until the money be fully fati sfied and paid. A. very curious anecdote relative to this l aw was mentioned to me at \ Vdli am!b urg, of which I am perfuaded the r eader will excufc the re lation.A n ufurer, not fati s.fied with 5!. per cent. legal i1l terefi, refu fed to advance a fum of money to a gentleman, unlefs, by way of fecurity, he would g ive him a bill of exchange that fhould be returned prote!l:ed, by wh ich he would be entitl ed to 10 per cent. T he gentleman, who h ad immediateoccafion for the money, fat down and drew a bill upon a capital mercha n t in London, with whom he D 2 The |