BAYNE: First LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY IN AMERICA 7 
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erall Assembly ” “ wherein their duties were described to the life.” 
The speaker then read to the Assembly the great Charter or 
commission of privileges, orders and laws sent through Yeardley 
from England. These were divided into four parts and the first 
two were referred to one committee and the other two to a separate 
committee. The report of proceedings explains this action as 
follows: 
“But some man may here objecte; to what ende we should pre- 
- sume to referre that to the examination of comitties which the 
Counsell and Company in England had already resolved to be per- 
fect and did expecte nothinge but our assente thereunto. To this 
we answere that we did not to the ende to correcte or control 
anything therein contained; but onely in case we should finde 
ought not perfectly squaring with the State of this Colony or any 
law which did presse or pointe too harde that we might by way of 
humble petition seeke to have it redressed; especially because this 
great Charter is to bind us and our heyers for ever.” 
This concluded the morning session. 
“After dinner,” proceeds the chronicler, “the Governour and 
those that were not of the comitties sate a second time; while the 
said comitties were employed in the perusall of those two bookes.”’ 
The speaker then propounded the following subjects for con- 
sideration : 
1. The great Charter or Commission of laws, orders and privi- 
leges. 
2. Which of the instructions given by the Counsell in England 
to my Lo. La Warre, Capt. Argall or Sir George Yeardley might 
“conveniently putte on the habit of lawes.”’ 
3. What laws might issue out of the private conceit of any of 
the burgesses or any other of the Colony. 
4. What petitions were fit to be sent home for England. 
The governor reserved the second subject for his own examina- 
tion. About three hours were spent in conference over the other 
subjects, and the report of the committees having been then 
brought in, the Assembly adjourned till next morning, Saturday, 
