members, invested with the sole power of raising levies, settling the repairs of the church, and regulating other parochial business. They were originally elected by the people of the several parishes; but now fill up vacancies themselves. If the vestry does not present to a living in less than twelve months, it lapses to the governor. The diocesan is the bishop of London; who has a power of appointing a commisary to preside over, and convene the clergy on particular occasions; and to censure, or even suspend them, in cases of neglect or immorality. His salary is 100 1. sterling per annum; and he is generally of the council, which is of equal emolument to him.*

An unhappy disagreement has lately arisen between the clergy and the laity, which, it is to be feared, may be of serious consequence. The cause of it was this. Tobacco being extremely scarce from a general failure of the crop, the assembly passed an act to oblige the clergy and all public officers to receive their stipends in money instead of tobacco. This the clergy remonstrated against, alledging the hardship of being obliged to take a small price for their tobacco, when it bore an extravagant one; seeing they never had any kind of compensation allowed, when it was so plentiful as to be almost a drug. They sent over an agent to England, and the law was repealed. This greatly exasperated the people; and such is their mutual animosity at this time, that, I fear, it will not easily subside, or be forgotten.

With regard to the law in question, it was certainly a very hard one; and I doubt whether, upon principles of free government, it can be justified; or whether the assembly can legally interpose any farther, than, in cases of ne

* The commissary is commonly president of the college, and has the parish of Williamsburg, or some other lucrative parish, which render him about 350 1. a year: so that his annual income is between 5 and 600 1.

cessity, to oblige e clergy to receive their salaries in money instead of pbacco, at the current price of tobacco. They may, I am persuaded, in cases of exigency, always make, and might then have made, such a law, without any considerable detriment to the colony: for, supposing the price of tobacco to be, what it was at that time, about fifty shillings currency per hundred, what would the whole sum be, were the clergy to be paid ad valorem? Not 20,000 1. sterling. There are in Virginia, as I observed before, about sixty-five clergymen : each of these is allowed 16,000 weight of tobacco; which, at the rate of fifty shillings currency per hundred, amounts to 400 1.; 400 1. multiplied by 65, is equal to 26,000 1.; which, allowing 40 per cent. discount, the difference of exchange, is about 18,571 1. sterling.Now what is this sum to such a colony as Virginia? But to this it will be said, perhaps, why should the clergy be gainers in a time of public distress, when every one else is a sufferer? The clergy will doubtless reply, and why should the clergy be the only sufferers in plentiful seasons, when all but themselves are gainers? Upon the whole, however, as on the one hand I disapprove of the proceedings of the assembly in this affair; so, on the other, I cannot approve of the steps which were taken by the clergy: that violenee of temper; that disrespectful behaviour towards the governor; that unworthy treatment of their commissary; and, to mention nothing else, that confusion of proceeding in the convention, of which some, though not the majority, as has been invidiously represented, were guilty; these things were surely unbecoming the sacred character they are invested with; and the moderation of those persons, who ought in all things to imitate the conduct of their divine Master. If, instead of flying out in invectives against the legislature; of accusing the governor of having given up the cause of religion by passing the bill; when, in fact,

had he rejected it, he would never have been able to have got any supplies during the course of the war, though ever so much wanted; if, instead of charging the commissary with want of zeal for having exhorted them to moderate measures, they had followed the prudent counsels of that excellent man, and had acted with more temper and moderation, they might, I am persuaded, in a very short time, have obtained any redress they could reasonably have desired. The people in general were extremely well affected towards the clergy, and had expressed their regard for them in several instances; they were sensible, moreover, that their salaries were too scanty to support them with dignity, and there had been some talk about raising them: had the clergy therefore, before they applied to England, only offered a memorial to the assembly, setting forth that they thought the act extremely hard upon them, as their salaries were small; and that they hoped the assembly would take their case into consideration, and enable them to live with that decency which became their character; I am persuaded, from the knowledge which I have of the people in general, and from repeated conversations with several members of the assembly, that they might have obtained almost any thing they could have wished; if not, they undoubtedly would have had reason to appeal. But, instead of this, without applying to the assembly for relief, after the act was passed, (for before, indeed, some of them did apply to the speaker in private) they flew out into the most violent invectives, immediately sent over an agent to England, and appealed to his majesty in council. The result has been already related.

The progress of arts and sciences in this colony has been very inconsiderable: the college of William and Mary is the only public place of education, and this has by no means answered the design of its institution. It has a

foundation for a president and six professors. The business of the president is to superintend the whole, and to read four theological lectures annually. He has a handsome house to live in, and 200 1. sterling per annum. The professor of the Indian school has 60 1. sterling, and a house also; his business is to instruct the Indians in reading, writing, and the principles of the Christian religion; this pious institution was set on foot and promoted by the excellent Mr. Boyle. The professor of humanity has the care of instructing the students in classical learning: he has an usher or assistant under him. The four other professors teach moral philosophy, metaphysics, mathematics, and divinity. Each of the professors has apartments in the college, and a salary of about 80 1. per annum.* The present chancellor of the college is the bishop of London.

From what has been said of this colony, it will not be difficult to form an idea of the characterf of its inhabitants. The climate and external appearance of the country conspire to make them indolent, easy, and good-natured; extremely fond of society, and much given to convivial pleasures. In consequence of this, they seldom show any spirit of enterprize, or expose themselves willingly to fatigue. Their authority over their slaves renders them vain and imperious, and intire strangers to that elegance of sentiment, which is so peculiarly characteristic of refined and polished nations. Their ignorance of mankind and of learning, exposes them to many errors and prejudices, especially in regard to Indians and Negroes, whom they scarcely consider as of the human species; so that it is almost impos

* They have been since raised, I believe, to 100 1.

† General characters are always liable to many exceptions. In Virginia I have had the pleasure to know several gentlemen adorned with many virtues and accomplishments, to whom the following description is by no means applicable.

sible, in cases of violence, or even murder, committed upon those unhappy people by any of the planters, to have the delinquents brought to justice: for either the grand jury refuse to find the bill, or the petit jury bring in their verdict, not guilty.*

The display of a character thus constituted, will naturally be in acts of extravagance, ostentation, and a disregard of œconomy; it is not extraordinary, therefore, that the Virginians out-run their incomes; and that having involved themselves in difficulties, they are frequently tempted to raise money by bills of exchange, which they know will be returned protested, with 10 per cent. interest.t

* There are two laws in this colony, which make it almost impossible to convict a planter, or white man, of the death of a Negroe or Indian. By the first it is enacted, that "if any slave shall die by reason of any "stroke or blow, given in correction by his or her owner, or by reason of any accidental blow whatsoever, given by such owner; no person concerned in such correction, or accidental homicide, shall undergo any prosecution or punishment for the same; unless, upon examination before the county court, it shall be proved by the oath of one lawful and credible witness, at least, that such slave was killed wilfully, maliciously, and designedly; nor shall any person indicted for the murder of a slave, and upon trial found guilty only of manslaughter, incur any forfeiture or punishment for such offence or misfortune." See Mercer's Abridgment, p. 345. By the second, "No Negroe, Mulatto, or Indian, can be admitted into any court, or before any magistrate, to be sworn as a witness, or give evidence in any cause whatsoever, except upon the trial of a slave for a capital offence." Mercer's Abridgment, p. 419.

By an act of assembly, if any bill of exchange is drawn for the payment of any sum of money, and such bill is protested for non-acceptance or non-payment, it carries interest from the date thereof, after the rate of 10 per cent per annum, until the money be fully satisfied and paid.

A very curious anecdote relative to this law was mentioned to me at Williamsburg, of which I am persuaded the reader will excuse the relation. An usurer, not satisfied with 5 1. per cent. legal interest, refused to advance a sum of money to a gentleman, unless, by way of security, he would give him a bill of exchange that should be returned protested, by which he would be intitled to 10 per cent. The gentleman, who had immediate occasion