Travels Through North America 



of 500 1. sterling value. The governor has a povv^er 

 of pardoning criminals in all cases, except of treason 

 or murder: and then he can only reprieve till he 

 knows the king's pleasure. 



The established religion is that of the Church of 

 England; and there are very fev^ Dissenters of any 

 denomination in this province. There are at present 

 between sixty and seventy clergymen; men in general 

 of sober and exemplary lives. They have each a 

 glebe of two or three hundred acres of land, a house, 

 and a salary established by law of 16,000 weight of 

 tobacco, with an allowance of 1,700 more for shrink- 

 age. This is delivered to them in hogsheads ready 

 packed for exportation, at the most convenient ware- 

 house. The presentation of livings is in the hands 

 of the vestry, which is a standing body of twelve 

 members invested with the sole power of raising 

 levies, settling the repairs of the church, and regu- 

 lating other parochial business. They were origi- 

 nally elected by the people of the several parishes; 

 but now fill up vacancies themselves. If the vestry 

 does not present to a living in less than twelve months, 



"publicly arraigned and tried at the court-house of the said county, 

 "and take for evidence the confession of the offender, the oath of 

 "one or more credible witnesses, or such testimony of negroes, 

 "mulattoes or Indians, bond or free, with pregnant circumstances 

 "as to them shall seem convincing, without the solemnity of a jury, 

 "and the offender being found guilty, shall pass such judgment 

 " upon him or her as the law directs for the like crimes, and on 

 " such judgment award execution." 



— Mercer's Abridgment of the Virginian Laws, p. 342, 



[48] 



