The Lower House. 127

Samuel Hopkins, Major Roger Woolford, Major James
Phillips, Mr Robert Tyler, Major John Ward, Mr Charles
Wright and Mr Amos Garrett, who proceed to choose a Chair-
man, and unanimously elect the Honble Col^o Wm Coursey to
be Chairman of this Conference and William Bladen Clerk
thereof

Then was read the following Proposals from his Excellency
the Governor offered to the Consideration of the Assembly,

Whether it may not be proper to find some Expedient for
the shipping packing and paying away Tobacco earlier in the
Year than has been of late usual for that the same would
prove very advantageous to the Country in General is con-
ceived to be beyond Dispute because that the longer Tobacco
hangs the more it loses in its Scent, Freshness, Substance,
Weight and Goodness in every Respect and consequently is
of less Value when it comes to Market being so wasted that
there remains only the Shape and nothing of the Substance of
Tobacco it will be an effectual Method to quicken Trade; for
thereby all Purchasers as well as those that come upon Freight
may with far less Expence be dispatched and Consequently
the one may afford to give the better Pennyworth, and the
other to go at a cheaper Freight.

And it being evident that the want of getting Cask Timber
timely seasoned and fit to be set up & the Delay used by
Coopers proceeding in a great Measure from the Uncertainty
of their Pay is the chief Cause to the Backwardness in getting
the Tobacco ready for shipping —

Whether a Law appointing a certain Time in the Year for
getting such Cask Timber ready and for Coopers to set the
same up would not prove very beneficial and for the Cooper's
Encouragement to have his Pay upon Execution. Such a
Law would certainly prove highly beneficial not only for the
Dispatch in Trade but likewise in saving of the Sloops, Flats
and Craft of the Country from being destroyed by the Worm;
for in getting the Tobacco timely ready such Craft need not
be running after the Worm bites nor the Ships forced to stay
too late and be also damnified. It would be a Means to have
all Tobacco come regularly and much nearer the same Time to
Market and thereby all Traders be at a Certainty how to
govern themselves; but if the Trade continues to have Ships

L. H.J.

drop in all the Year round the Tobacco Buyers will purchase
no more at a Time than just from Hand to Mouth :

Whereas on the contrary if all the Year's Crop went to
Market much at a Time the Buyers would according to the
Exigencies of their Trade purchase their whole Year's Stock

p. 513