At the Board of Trade on 6 May 1717, the Commissioners read a memorial submitted by several Virginia merchants (unnamed), relating to an Act of the Assembly of Virginia, for preventing frauds in tobacco payments, and to an Act for regulating the Indian trade. [This is related here to show the influence that the merchants and traders exerted on the legislation in Virginia.] On 10 May, Mr. Perry, Jr., Mr. Hyde, and Mr. Byrd attended the Board and discussed much the same questions as the earlier traders. They explained their objections to these Acts and the Commissioners decided to send the Acts to the Attorney General to obtain his legal opinion on them.
On 5 June, the Board appointed Byrd to officiate for William Hodskin, one of the clerks in the Commissioner's office, who was going on a diplomatic mission to Spain. [William Byrd held many jobs and was qualified for them. He was always looking for an income source to help him meet his expenses and debts. And he was considered the richest man in Virginia at the time.]
All through June, the time of the Commissioners was taken up in considering these Acts just mentioned.
21 Jun 1717. Mr. Kennedy from Virginia stated that he assisted Carolina during the Indian troubles and asked for compensation for his services. The Board advised him to appeal to His Majesty. [Notice that many things were decided after the fact.]
The Board was considering repealing the Acts above, and wondered what the consequences would be. Spotswood wrote and complained about the lack of a response by South Carolina to the aid given by Virginia.
10 July 1717. Several unnamed merchants trading to Virginia complained that Daniel McCartney, Collector of the South Potomac District, was himself engaged in trade, contrary to the law and the prejudice of other merchants. The Board of Trade Commissioners decided to send the complaint to the Customs Commissioners.
The next day, the Lords of the Treasury asked for an opinion about the memorial of Mr. Kennedy (see 21 Jun above).
A perennial question by the Crown was for information about the revenues raised in the Plantations. In Virginia, about fourteen hundred pounds sterling was collected each year in quit rents. This could be paid in money or tobacco. This led to a question as to just how much land had been taken up in Virginia, so the Commissioners decided to ask Spotswood for a report on this. They then decided to make it a standing order that all Governors of the Plantations were to report how much land had been taken up.
8 Aug 1717. The Commissioners read a letter from Spotswood (of 30 May), stating that the quit rent revenues were insufficient for the expenses of the government in Virginia. Also on this date, the Commissioners read an Order in Council [i.e., the King and his advisers], which repealed three Acts of the Virginia Assembly relating to the Staple of Tobacco and to the Regulation of the Indian Trade. The Governors in all of the Plantations were warned against passing legislation which would interfere or effect the Trade or Shipping of Great Britain.
(30 Aug 00)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.