Page:Economic History of Virginia Vol 1.djvu/291

 and prohibiting the trade, they would be compelled to abandon the country or perish. The detriment to the royal treasury which would result from this necessity was obvious. To this petition the King gave no heed at the time. On the contrary, he caused the provisions of his proclamation to fall all the more heavily on the shoulders of his subjects in Virginia, by granting the customs upon tobacco to a small association of farmers of the revenue, and in the following year to a single individual. Both association and individual proceeded so injuriously against the interests of the London and Somers Isles Companies, that these Companies offered a vigorous protest to the King, who, in a dilatory though characteristic fashion, made them liberal promises, but took no steps to conform to their wishes. A remonstrance was then introduced into the House of Commons, but nothing was accomplished by this, although the House was in sympathy with its object. So strong was the feeling of the London Company, that they presented Mr. Bennett with the freedom of their body because he had written a treatise urging that the importation of Spanish tobacco into England should be strictly prohibited.