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Power to raife 5 per

the faid

colony and plantation; and also, all and every fuch person and perfons whatsoever, as fhall enterprize or attempt, at any time hereafter, deftruction, invafion, hurt, detriment, or annoyance, to the faid colony and plantation, as is likewife fpecified in the faid former grant.

XXI, And that it fhall be lawful for the faid treasurer and cent. upon company, and their fucceffors, and every of them, from time all goodsim- to time, and at all times for ever hereafter, and they fhall have ported into full power and authority, to take and furprife, by all ways faid colony or exported and means whatsoever, all and every perfon and perfons whatout of it by foever, with their fhips, goods, and other furniture, trafthe king's ficking in any harbour, creek, or place, within the limits or fubjects not members of precincts of the faid colony and plantation, not being allowed by the faid company to be adventurers or planters of the faid company colony, until fuch time as they, being of any realms and dominions under our obedience, fhall pay, or agree to pay, to the hands of the treasurer or of fome other officer, deputed by the faid governor of Virginia (over and above fuch fubfidy and cuftom, as the faid company is, or hereafter fhall be, to pay) five pounds per cent, upon all goods and merchandifes fo brought in thither, and also five per cent. upon all goods by and 10 per them fhipped out from thence; and being ftrangers, and not cent. upon. under all goods our obedience, until they have paid (over and above such imported fubfidy and cuftom, as the faid treasurer and company, or thither or their fucceffors, is, or hereafter fhall be, to pay) ten pounds exported thence by per cent. upon all fuch goods, likewife carried in and out, ftrangers any thing, in the faid former letters patents, to the contrary notwithstanding; and the fame fums of money and benefit, as aforefaid, for and during the space of one-and-twenty years, fhall be wholly employed to the benefit, ufe, and behoof of the faid colony and plantation; and after the faid one-and-twenty years ended, the fame fhall be taken to the ufe of us, our heirs, and fucceffors, by fuch officers and minifters, as by us, our heirs, or fucceffors, fhall be thereunto affigned and appointed, as is fpecified in the faid former letters patents.

not under the king's obedience.

General denization of

XXII. Alfo, we do, for us, our heirs, and fucceffors, all fuch per- declare, by thefe prefents, that all and every the perfons, fons as hall being our fubjects, which fhall go and inhabit within the be born in faid colony and plantation, and every of their children and that colony. pofterity, which fhall happen to be born within any the limits

thereof, fhall have and enjoy all liberties, franchifes, and immunities of free denizens and natural fubjects, within any of our other dominions, to all intents and purposes, as if they

had

had been abiding and born within this our realm of England, or in any other of our dominions.

by the coun

the faid

XXIII. And forafmuch, as it fhall be neceffary for all fuch Power to our loving fubjects, as fhall inhabit within the faid precincts the officers of governof Virginia, afor faid, to determine to live together, in the ment that fear and true worship of Almighty God, chriftian peace, and fhall be apcivil quietnefs, each with other, whereby every one may, pointed for that purpose with more fafety, pleasure, and profit, enjoy that, whereunto they fhall attain with great pain and peril; we, for us, our cil aforefaid, heirs, and fucceffors, are likewife pleafed and contented, and to govern the people of by these presents, do give and grant unto the faid treasurer the faid coand company, and their fucceffors, and to fuch governors, lony accordofficers, and minifters, as fhall be, by our faid council, con ing to fuch ftituted and appointed, according to the natures and limits nal as well laws, crimiof their offices and places refpectively, that they fhall and as civil, as may, from time to time for ever hereafter, within the faid fhall be efprecincts of Virginia, or in the way by fea thither and from tablished by thence, have full and abfolute power and authority, to cor- council. rect, punish, pardon, govern, and rule, all fuch the subjects of us, our heirs, and fucceffors, as fhall, from time to time, adventure themselves in any voyage thither, or that fhall, at any time hereafter, inhabit in the precincts and territories of the faid colony, as aforefaid, according to fuch orders, ordinances, conftitutions, directions, and inftructions, as by our faid council, as aforefaid, fhall be established; and in defect thereof, in cafe of neceffity, acccording to the good difcretion of the faid governor and officers, refpectively, as well in cafes capital and criminal as civil, both marine and other; fo always, as the faid ftatutes, ordinances, and proceedings, as near as conveniently may be, be agreeable to the laws, ftatutes, government, and policy of this our realm of England.

XXIV. And we do further, of our fpecial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, grant, declare, and ordain, that fuch principal governor, as, from time to time, fhall duly and lawfully be authorifed and appointed, in manner. and form in these presents heretofore expreffed, shall have full power and authority, to ufe and exercise martial law, in cafes of rebellion or mutiny, in as large and ample manner. as our lieutenants in our counties, within this our realm of England, have, or ought to have, by force of their commions of lieutenancy.

XXV. And furthermore, if any perfon or perfons, ad- Perfonswhot venturers or planters of the faid colony, or any other, at any time or times hereafter, fhall transport any monies, goods, ding to this

M 2

under pretence of tra

of colony, shall

into foreign

countries,

fend goods or merchandizes, out of any of our kingdoms, with a pretence or purpose, to land, fell, or otherwife difpofe of the fhall forfeit fame, within the limits or bounds of the faid colony, and yet their fhips nevertheless, being at fea, or after he hath landed within any and goods. part of the faid colony, fhall carry the fame into any other foreign country, with a purpose there to fell and difpofe thereof; that then, all the goods and chattels of the faid perfon, or perfons, fo offending and tranfported, together with the fhip or veffel wherein fuch transportation was made, fhall be forfeited to us, our heirs and fucceffors.

Doubtful

thefe and

former pa

XXVI. And further, our will and pleasure is, that in all paflages in queftions and doubts that shall arife, upon any difficulty of conftruction or interpretation of any thing, contained either in tents fhall this or in our faid former letters patents, the fame shall be taken be conftruedand interpreted, in most ample and beneficial manner for the beneficially faid treasurer and company, and their fucceffors, and every

to the gran

tees.

member thereof.

Confirmati- XXVII. And further, we do, by thefe prefents, ratify on of former and confirm unto the faid treasurer and company, and their patents not fucceffors, all the privileges, franchises, liberties, and immualtered by nities, granted in our faid former letters patents, and not in the prefent these our letters patents revoked, altered, changed or charter. abridged.

revoked or

by this char

Extenfion of XXVIII. And finally, our will and pleasure is, and we the privile- do further, hereby, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, grant ges granted and agree, to and with the faid treasurer and company, and ter to all fu- their fucceffors, that all and fingular perfon and perfons, ture mem- which fhall, at any time or times hereafter, adventure any bers of the fum or fums of money, in and towards the said plantation of my duly ad- the faid colony in Virginia, and shall be admitted, by the mitted into faid council and company, as adventurers of the faid coit by the lony, in form aforefaid, and fhall be enrolled in the book thereof, in or records of the adventurers of the faid company, fhall and the manner may be accounted, accepted, taken, held, and reputed, ad-.

faid compa

Council

above de

fcribed.

venturers of the faid colony, and shall and may enjoy all and fingular grants, privileges, liberties, benefits, profits, commodities, and immunities, advantages, and emoluments whatsoever, as fully, largely, amply, and abfolutely, as if they, and every of them, had been precifely, plainly, fingularly, and diftinctly named and inferted in thefe our letters

patents.

No perfon XXIX. And lastly, because the principal effect which fhall go into we can defire or expect of this action, is the converfion and the faid reduction of the people in thofe parts unto the true worship country of God and Chriftian religion, in which refpect we should

be

1

ken the

be loath, that any perfon fhould be permitted to pafs, that without hawe fufpected to effect the fuperftitions of the church of Rome; ving first tawe do hereby declare, that it is our will and pleasure, that oath of funone be permitted to pass, in any voyage, from time to time premacy. to be made into the faid country, but fuch as first shall have taken the oaths of fupremacy; for which purpose we do, by these prefents, give full power and authority, to the treafurer for the time being, and any three of the council, to tender and exhibit the faid oath, to all fuch perfons as fhall, at any time, be sent and employed in the faid voyage. Although express mention of the true yearly value or certainty of the premises, or any of them, or of any other gifts or grants, by us, or any of our progenitors, or predeceffors, to the aforefaid treasurer and company heretofore made, in these prefents. is not made; or any act, ftatute, ordinance, provifion, proclamation, or reftraint, to the contrary hereof had, made, ordained, or provided, or any other thing, caufe, or matter, whatsoever in any wife notwithstanding. In witnefs whereof, we have caused thefe our letters to be made patent; witness ourfelf at Westminster, the 23d day of May, in the feventh year of our reign of England, France, and Ireland, and of Scotland the *****

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Charter of King JAMES I. to the Treasurer and
Company of VIRGINIA. Dated March 12, 1611-2.

the Charter

I. AMES, by the grace of God, King of England, Scot- Recital of land, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith; to the fuball, to whom these prefents fhall come, greeting. Whereas tance of at the humble fuit of divers and fundry our loving fubjects, as of May 23, well adventurers as planters of the firft colony in Virginia, 1609. and for the propagation of chriftian religion, and reclaiming of people barbarous to civility and humanity, we have, by our letters patents, bearing date, at Westminster, the three

and

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Petition of

and-twentieth day of May, in the seventh year of our reign of England, Francé, and Ireland, and the two-and-fortieth of Scotland, given and granted unto them, that they, and all fuch and fo many of our loving fubjects, as fhould, from time to time for ever after, be joined with them, as planters or adventurers in the faid plantation, and their fucceffors, for ever, fhould be one body politic, incorporated by the name of, The treasurer and company of adventurers and planters of the city of London for the first colony in Virginia.

II. And whereas alfo, for the greater good and benefit of the faid company, and for the better furtherance, ftrengthening, and establishing of the faid plantation, we did further give, grant, and confirm, by our faid letters patents, unto the faid treasurer and company, and their fucceffors, for ever, all thofe lands, countries, or territories, fituate, lying, and being, in that part of America called Virginia, from the point of land called Cape or Point Comfort, all along the fea coafts, to the northward, two hundred miles, and from the faid point of Cape Comfort, all along the fea coaft, to the fouthward, two hundred miles, and all that space and circuit of land, lying from the fea coaft of the precinct aforefaid, up or into the land, throughout from fea to sea, west and northwest, and alfo all the islands, lying within one hundred miles, along the coaft of both the seas of the precinct aforefaid, with divers other grants, liberties, franchifes, and preheminences, privileges, profits, benefits, and commodities, granted, in and by our faid letters patents, to the faid treasurer and company, and their fucceffors, for ever.

III. Now, forafmuch as we are given to understand, that the grantees in thofe feas, adjoining to the faid coafts of Virginia, and for the en- without the compafs of thofe two hundred miles, by us fo largement of their for- granted unto the faid treafurer and company, as aforefaid, mer charter, and yet not far diftant from the faid colony in Virginia,

there are, or may be, divers iflands, lying defolate and uninhabited, fome of which are already made known and difcovered, by the industry, travel, and expence of the said company, and others alfo are fuppofed to be and remain, as yet, unknown and undiscovered, all and every of which it may import the faid colony, both in fafety and policy of trade, to populate and plant, in regard whereof, as well for the preventing of peril, as for the better commodity and profperity of the faid colony, they have been humble fuitors unto us, that we would be pleased to grant unto them an enlargement of our faid former letters patents, as well for a more ample extent of their limits and territories into the feas

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