446 VIRGINIA. 



Chief towns. ...Virginia is not divided into townships, nor are 

 there any large towns, owing probably to the intersection of the 

 country by navigable rivers, which bring the trade to the doors o£ 

 the inhabitants, and prevent the necessity of their going in quest of 

 it to a distance. The principal towns are, Richmond, the capital, 

 Williamsburg, and Norfolk. Richmond contains between 1000 and 

 1200 houses, and 9,735 inhabitants. Here is a large state-house, or 

 capitol, erected on a hill which commands an extensive prospect of 

 the lqwer part of the town, the river, and the adjacent country ; an 

 episcopal church, a court-house and jail. It had a theatre, which, 

 in December L811, was consumed during an exhibition, and with it 

 the governor of the state, and nearly 100 others, of the most respec- 

 table inhabitants. Williamsburg was the seat of government till 1780.. 

 It contains about 100 houses, and about 1400 inhabitants. It is l'e- 

 gularly laid out in parallel streets, with a pleasant square in the cen- 

 tre, of about ten acres, through which runs the principal street, about 

 a mile in length, and more than 200 feet wide. Norfolk is the most 

 considerable commercial town in Virginia. The harbour is safe and 

 commodious, and large enough to contain 300 ships. In 1790, the 

 number of inhabitants in Norfolk was 2959, including 1294 slaves ; 

 and in 1810, 9,193, including 3,825 slaves. The first town establish- 

 ed by the English in Virginia, and, indeed, in the new world, was 

 James Town. This continued to be the seat of government till the 

 year 1700, when it was removed to Williamsburg. James Town 

 lotig enjoyed exclusive privileges. It was for many years the sole 

 port ot entry and delivery. But it is now entirely desolated. The 

 steeple of a church, a few fragments of tomb-stones, and a brick 

 house, supposed to have been built by the early adventurers for a ma- 

 gazine, are the only vestiges of the oldest town in the new world. On 

 the 13th of May, 1607, the spot where James Town was built, was 

 selected for the first settlement in Virginia. It lies on the north 

 bank of James river, in James City county, and was originally a 

 peninsula, but by the gradual encroachments of the river on the bank, 

 the neck of land which joined it to the main, has been entirely worn 

 away, and it is now an island. 



Trade. ...The trade of Virginia consists principally in tobacco, and 

 different kinds of grain. In 1790, about 40,000 hogsheads of tobacco 

 were exported; but its culture has since declined, and that of wheat 

 taken place. The greatest quantity of tobacco ever produced in this 

 country was 70,000 hogsheads in the year 1758. The exports from this 

 state, in the year 1792, amounted to 3,549,499 dollars; in 1796, to 

 5,268,615; in 1802, to 8,000,000; in 1804, to 5,790,000; and in 1810, 

 to 4,822,611. The coal mines on James' river have lately produced 

 a very considerable trade with the neighbouring states. 



Government... The government of this state, like that of all the 

 rest, is divided into a legislative, executive and judiciary department, 

 and the powers of each are nominally distinguished. The legislative 

 is styled the general assembly, and consists of two branches, a senate 

 and house of delegates. They are both chosen by the freeholders of 

 the state ; the senate for four years, with an annual rotation of one 

 fourth, and the delegates for one year. The members of both hou- 

 ses must be freeholders and residents. The two houses appoint the 

 state treasurer, and all the principal judiciary officers. The execu- 

 tive is composed of a governor and council, who are elected by the 

 general assembly, annually. They possess the power of granting 



