At the Board of Trade and Plantations in London, a letter was received, on 10 April 1723, from Mr. Walpole, asking for copies of the Act of the Assembly of Virginia, and of an Address relating to the establishment of two new counties in Virginia. [It has now been two years since the people in London had become aware of the Acts. There were differing opinions about the Acts and no resolution of them had been made. The only things that had been said left the Virginians confused, but it was generally understood that land in the new counties would be free, with some limitations. Accordingly, the Second Colony people were scouting for land in Spotsylvania County, and probably had located land in the Robinson River Valley.]
Apparently, the first letter from Major Drysdale, the new Lt. Gov. of Virginia, was received 13 Jun 1723, which was more than a year after his appointment. It is not clear why, but the letter read this day in London was written by Drysdale on 20 Dec 1722.
26 June 1723. Mr. Forward asked the Board for the repeal of the Act passed by the Virginia Assembly in 1722, entitled "An Act for amending the Act concerning Servants and Slaves and for the better Government of Convicts Imported and for the further preventing the Clandestine Transportation of Persons out of this Colony". Mr. Forward was invited to attend the next meeting. After the discussion with Mr. Forward, the Commissioners arranged for the disputed Act to be sent to Mr. West, one of H.M.'s Counsel at Law, for a legal opinion.
28 Jun 1723. Approval was given to the draft recommending repeal of an Act of Assembly passed in 1720, entitled "An Act for the better Discovery and securing of His Majesty's Quit Rents".
2 Oct 1723. The Board read an order of the Privy Council on the question of Quit Rents and the purchase of rights in two counties in Virginia. [They were still debating the Acts.]
[In 1723, Lt. Gov. Drysdale wrote to the Board, "I judge it part of my duty to inform your Ldspps. of an affair, that is at present the common Theme of peoples Discourses, and employs their thought. Coll Spotswood's Iron workes: he had brought itt to that perfection that he now sells by public auction at Wm:burgh, backs and frames for Chymies, Potts, doggs, frying, stewing and baking panns. . ."]
12 Nov 1723. Mr. Lynn, Secretary to the Royal African Company, asked for a hearing in protest against a Virginia Act of Assembly laying a duty on the import of liquors and slaves. The Commissioners agreed to hear the protest in more detail. On the 19th of November, the Board heard Mr. Leheup, Agent for Virginia, Mr. Carey, Mr. Byrd, and Mr. Perry, and three directors of the Royal African Company, on the subject of the legislation. The Commissioners decided to obtain a legal opinion.
(19 Sep 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.