238 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 4 



who worked for the large wool-farmerg. They 

 asked for money for their labor; but nioney was 

 not to be hacl, because the clippititr of wool, owing 

 to the derangements of business, had not been 

 sold. They asked to receive their pay in grain; 

 but the wool-farmers had abandoned all culiiva- 

 lion for the sheep husbandry. 'J'liey asked for 

 their pay in pork, but the farmers who raised no 

 grain could raise no pork. Now wheiher this be 

 u true history, or fabulous, it illustrates clearly the 

 error committed in abandoning the production of 

 gram."' — Second Report of the ylgriculture of 

 31assachusetts. 



If these facts had been stated, by a northern tra- 

 veller, of a cofio/i instead ofatoool-growing region, 

 and of slaves instead of free laborers, what would 

 have been the measure of severity of comment, both 

 on the miprovidence and the inhumanity of the 

 farmers ! 



EXTRACTS FROM THE OLD LAWS AKD RE- 

 CORDS OF VIRGINIA. 



(Continued from page 183.) 



Sir fVilliam Berkeletfs account of Virginia, in 

 1671. 



The next extract presented, will be the entire 

 copy of the "Enquiries to the Governor of Vir- 

 ginia, submitted by the Lords Conmiissioners of 

 Foreign Plantations, with the Governor's answers 

 to each distinct head." Hening says of this paper, 

 that "a more correct statistical account of Virginia, 

 at that period, cannot perhaps any where be found. 

 The answers appear to have been given with great 

 candor, and were from a man well versed in every 

 thing relating to the country." Sir Wm. Berke- 

 ley was lor thirty six years governor of Virginia, 

 by royal authority, and exercised the power during 

 that whole time, except the short intervals when 

 dispossessed, first by the establishment of the Eng- 

 lish commonweahh's rule, and afterwards by Ba- 

 con's rebellion. The governor was an admirable 

 specimen of the loyal cavaliers of his time. His 

 entire devotion to his monarch, and submission to 

 the regal will, had nothing in it of the mercenary 

 motives, or crawling servility, of a modern courtier, 

 or even of many a republican office holder, or 

 office seeker, of our own time and country. His 

 loyalty was founded in principle ; and mistaken as 

 the principle was, and misdirected to the basest of 

 kings, Charles H, the feelings and motives yet 

 command our respect, as much as those of the 

 etern puritans who stood on the extreme of oppo- 

 site ground. Berkeley's loyalty was like that so 

 admirably depicted by Scott in the character of 

 Claverhouse. Even amidst his expressions of 

 loyal devotion to royalty in these answers, there 

 may be discovered a proud and .«;tern bearing, and 

 ecorn, which he ecarcely cared to repress, for the 



measures of misrule. But, bold and free as was 

 the old cavalier in expressing disapprobation of the 

 foolish and injurious policy of the royal authority, 

 still, in his eyes there were no crimes so black as 

 disloyally and rebellion; and the implacable ven- 

 geance with which, a few years afterwards, he 

 pursued, and the cruelty with which he punished, 

 the participators in Bacon's most noble (and for a 

 sliort time, successful^ resistance to the galling 

 despotism of the royal government, were doubt- 

 less deemed by Berkeley to be strictly required by 

 his duty, not only as a governor, but as a man and 

 a christian. Under the influence of noble feelings 

 and impulses thus unfortunately perverted, after 

 the suppression of the rebellion, he caused the 

 blood of the actors to be "poured out like water;" 

 and considering the small amount of population of 

 the colony, (which then had existed but 70 years,) 

 perhaps in no country, under like circumstances, 

 was the vengeance of the law more unsparingly 

 and bloodily inflicted. Yet Governor Berkeley, 

 who urged on and carried through these acts of 

 cruelty and legal murder, doubtless considered 

 his course as necessary and as praise-worthy, as 

 if he had been engaged in exterminating ferocious 

 or predatory wild beasts. With all this, Berkeley 

 was just the man who, under different training, 

 would have made one of (he purest and sternest 

 of republicans. The same materials (and they 

 are of the most superior kind,) which were fash- 

 ioned by education into a Berkeley, or a Claver- 

 house, would, under different circumstances, have 

 made a Calo, a Pym, or a Carnot. — Ed. F. R. 



En(iuiries to dovernor Berkeley, and answers. 



1. What councils, assemblies, and courts of 

 judicature are within your government, and of 

 what nature and kind? 



jlnswcr. There is a governor and sixteen 

 counsellors, who have from his sacred majestie, 

 a commission of Oyer and Terminer, who judge 

 and determine all causes that are above fifteen 

 pound sterling ; for what is under, there are par- 

 ticular courts in every county, which are twenty 

 in number. Every year, at least, the assembly is 

 called, before whom lye appeals, and this assem- 

 bly is composed of two burgesses out of every 

 county. These lay the necessary taxes, as the 

 necessity of the war with the Indians, or their 

 exisencies, recjuire. 



2. What courts of judicature are within your 

 government relating to the admiralty? 



j/nswer. In twent3'-eight yeares there haa 

 never been one prize brought into the country ; so 

 that there is no need for a particular court for that 

 concern. 



3. Where the legislative and executive powers 

 of your government are seated? 



Answer. In the governor, council and assem- 

 bly, and officers substituted by them. 



4. What statute laws and ordinances are now 

 made and in force? 



I Answer. The secretary of this country every 



