VIRGINIA. 447 



reprieves and pardons in some cases ; appoint justices of peace ; 

 and sign commissions ; but have no negative or suspensive power on 

 the legislature. The judges have fixed salaries, and enjoy their 

 commissions during good behaviour; but they may be tried by a 

 general court, for misconduct in office, and removed from their seats 

 if convicted. The state sends to congress 2 senators, and 23 repre- 

 sentatives; which, according to the ratio of one representative for 

 thirty-five thousand persons, gives Virginia 17 representatives for 

 the white inhabitants, and 6 for the blacks or slaves. 



Religion. ...The duties of religion are much neglected in Virgi- 

 nia. There are whole counties, in which there is not a single house 

 for public worship of any kind. The present denominations of Chris- 

 tians are Presbyterians, who are most numerous, Episcopalians, Bap- 

 tists, Friends, and Methodists. The first settlers were Episcopa- 

 lians. All enjoy an equal toleration. 



Colleges. ...There is a college at Williamsburg, founded by king 

 William, and called William and Mary College. That monarch gave 

 two thousand pounds towards building it, and twenty thousand acres 

 of land, with power to purchase and hold lands to the value of two 

 thousand pounds a year, and a duty of a penny per pound on all to- 

 bacco exported to the other plantations. There is a president, six 

 professors, and other officers, who are always appointed by the go- 

 vernors, or visitors. The academy in Prince Edward county has 

 been erected into a college by the name of Hampden Sidney college. 

 There are besides a number of academies in different parts of Vir- 

 ginia : one at Alexandria, one at Norfolk, one at Hanover, and others 

 in other places. Most of the counties are furnished with common 

 English schools, where children are taught to read, write, and cast 

 accounts. 



History. ...This is the first country which the English planted in 

 America. They derived their right, not only to this, but to all their 

 other settlements, as has been already observed, from the discovery 

 of Sebastian Cabot, who, in 1497, first made the northern continent 

 of America, in the service of Henry VII, of England. No attempts, 

 however, were made to settle it till the reign of queen Elizabeth. It 

 was then that sir Walter Raleigh applied to court, and got together 

 a r ompany, which was composed of several persons of distinction, 

 and ..evera: eminent merchants, who agreed to open a trade and set- 

 tle a colony in that part of the world, which, in honour of queen Eli- 

 zab th, ht called Virginia. Towards the close of the sixteenth 

 ry, several attempts were made for settling this colony, before 

 any proved successful. The three first companies who sailed to 

 Virginia perished through hunger and diseases, or were cut off by 

 the Indians. The fourth was reduced almost to the same situation ; 

 and bejng dwindled to a feeble remainder, had set sail for England, 

 in despair of living in such an uncultivated country, inhabited by 

 sue;, hostile and warlike savages. But, in the mouth of Chesapeak 

 Bay, they were met by lord Delaware, with a squadron loaded with. 

 provisions, and with every thing necessary for their relief and defence. 

 A'., his persuasion they returned : by his advice, prudence, and win- 

 n •- behaviour, the internal government of the colony was settled 

 wit am itself, and put on a respectable footing with regard to its ene- 

 mies. T! is nobleman, who had accepted the government of the 

 unpromising province of Virginia from the noblest motives, was com- 

 pelled, by the decayed state of his health, to return to England. He 



