PLANTING IN MARYLAND. 65 
Charles I. enacted the most stringent laws against its import- 
ation, nearly suppressing the trade, which caused the 
English farmers to cultivate it for home use; but another 
law was now added to suppress its growth on English soil. 
Fairholt in speaking of the hostility of King James to the 
plant says: 
“When Kings make unnecessary and unjust laws, subjects 
naturally study how to evade them: it is a mere system of 
self-defence ; and as James nearly suppressed the importation 
of tobacco the English began to grow it on their own land. 
But the Scottish Solomon who was on the alert, added 
another law restraining its cultivation ‘to misuse and mis- 
employ the soil of this fruitful Kingdom.’ As this enforced the 
trade with the English colony of Virginia alone, it was soon 
found that Spanish and Portuguese tobacco might be brought 
into port on the payment of the old duty of twopence a 
pound; thus a large trade was carried on with their planters - 
to the injury of the British colonists. 
“Tts use increased in spite of all legislative laws and 
enactments and James ended by prohibiting any person from 
- dealing in the article who did not hold his letters patent. 
By this means the trade was monopolized, the consumers 
oppressed, importation diminished, and the London Company 
of Virginia traders ultimately ruined. Those who are fond 
of excusing the evil acts of one of the worst of English 
Kings, pretend to see James’ care for his subjects’ health and 
wealth in these restrictions, totally regardless of the fact 
that James cared for neither when the monopoly brought 
large sums into his own pocket.” 
In 1632 Charles I. granted to Sir George Calvert (who 
about this time was made Lord Baltimore) the territory now 
known as Maryland; soon after receiving the grant he died, 
when his son took the grant in his own name. The next 
year he sailed from England with two hundred persons and 
settled in his new possessions. The colony from the first, 
‘ prospered far better than the colony of Virginia and soon 
laid the foundation of a strong and substantial government. 
Like the Virginians they soon engaged in the cultivation of 
tobacco which seemed as well adapted to the soil as the 
other products, corn and English wheat. The Indians were 
found here as in the Plantation of Virginia planting tobacco 
5 i 
