Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 05.pdf/243

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OUR FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY. BY ALEXANDER BROWN. 'T'HE Colony in Virginia was in the begin-'ning dependent on the Company in England in almost every way, and it was not until the return of Dale in July, 1616, that it was regarded as a settled plantation. It was then determined to give the planters a fixed property in the soil, and to confirm every man's portion "as a state of inheri tance to him and his heyers forever, with bounds and limits under the Companies Scale, to be holden of his Maiestie, as of his Manour of East Greenwich, in Socage Tenure, and not in Capite." Early in 1617 Capt. Samuel Argall was sent with special Commissioners and a special surveyor to prepare the way for carrying out this deter mination; and, their preparations having been completed, at the beginning of April, 1618, Thomas West Lord De La Warr, the Lord-Governor and Captain-General of the Colonies, went to Virginia " to make go¿d the plantation there." But, unfortunately, he died on June 17, 1618 (I am using the present style dates), while on his voyage. The news of his death reached London, Oct. 15, 1618; and some time prior to November 4, the managers of the Virginia Company chose Capt. George Yardley (a first-cousin to Richard Yerwood, step-father of John Harvard, the founder of Harvard College, Mass.) to be Governor of Virginia in Lord De La Warr's place. He was commissioned, on November 28, to serve " onely for three yeares in certain and afterwards during the Company's pleasure." And at the same time the following most important docu ments were given to him, namely: — I. " The commission for establishing the Counsell of State and the General Assembly in Virginia, wherein their duties were de scribed to the life." II. "The Create Charter, or Comission of privileges, orders, and lawes." And

III. "Sundry Instructions given by The Counsel in England." As these documents were manifestly issued for the purpose of placing the Colony some what " on its own feet," so to speak, that is, "to make good the plantation there" it is probable that similar papers had been given to Lord De La Warr in the spring of 1618; but, if so, his death prevented their execu tion. The date of the issuing of our first executed Magna Charta, Nov. 28, 1618, is a most important one in our earliest history; and it was not then allowed to pass by with out " a sign in the heavens" for on that night "a blazing star " appeared, and the supersti tious world looked on with bated breath, believing that "Eight things there be a comet brings, When it on high doth horrid range : Wind, Famine, Plague, and Death to Kings, War, Earthquakes, Floods, and Direful Change."

On December 4, King James I., while at New Market, knighted the new Governor of Virginia, Sir George Yardley; and on the 1 3th, additional instructions were given to him by the Council and Company. Although the ships had been ready for over two months, Yardley did not sail until Jan. 29, 1619. The comet remained visible in the heavens until December 26, and it may be that it was thought best not to sail until after that baneful influence had passed away. Superstition has made the comet a factor in many great events since — "A thousand sixe and sixty yeare [Hasting, 1066] a comet did appeare, and Englishmen lay dead." Owing to adverse weather, Yardley did not reach Jamestown until April 29, 1619. "The commission for establishing the Counsell of Estate [State] and the General Assembly in Virginia," of Nov. 28, 1618,