Page:Notes on the State of Virginia (1802).djvu/167

Rh for ever from all taxes and impoſitions on any goods or merchandiſe on importations into the colony, or exportation out of it, except the five per cent. due on all goods imported into the Britiſh dominions, according to the ancient trade of merchants; which five per cent. only being paid they might, within 13 months re-export the ſame goods into foreign parts, without any cuſtom, tax, or other duty to the king or any of his officers or deputies; with powers of waging war against thoſe who ſhould annoy them; giving to the inhabitants of the colony all the rights of natural ſubjects, as if born and abiding in England; and declaring that theſe letters ſhould be conſtrued, in all doubtful parts, in ſuch manner as ſhould be moſt for the benefit of the grantees.

Afterwards on the 12th of March 1612, by other letters-patent, the king added to his former grants, all iſlands in any part of the ocean between the 30th and 41ſt degrees of latitude, and within 300 leagues of any of the parts before granted to the treaſurer and company, not being poſſeſſed or inhabited by any other chriſtian prince or ſtate, nor within the limits of the northern colony. In purſuance of the authorities given to the company by theſe charters, and more eſpecially of that part in the charter of 1609, which authoriſed them to eſtabliſh a form of government, they on the 24th of July 1621, by charter under their common ſeal, declared that from thence forward there ſhould be two ſupreme councils in Virginia, the one to be called the council of ſtate, to be placed and diſplaced by the treaſurer, council in England, and company, from time to time, whoſe office was to be that of aſſiſting and adviſing the