The Lower House. 99

an Act of Parliament from Great Britain justly Entituled an
Act for the encouraging the Tobacco Trade which provides
abundantly more for your Relief and answers all the Ends of
the Virginia Law; I am now of Opinion you will not employ
much of your Time in that particular.

The great Condescension of the Crown in parting with so
considerable a Branch of the Revenue in your Favour, I mean
by passing that Act for the encouraging the Tobacco Trade
and the immediate Benefit and Advantages you will reap
from it will be demonstrated by the Act itself which I shall
send down to your House for your Perusal.

Gentlemen, I am inclinable to impute the Decay of the
Revenue here more to Accident in Trade than to any Intention
of the good People of the Province to defraud the Crown, but
what was at first only the Accident of Trade is now grown
into a pernicious Custom by which the Revenue is greatly
impaired as will evidently appear by a Law made in an
Assembly of the 30th April 1679. To that Law I am referred
by my Instruction which I shall communicate to you for your
Information.

L. H. J.

True it is that the Circumstance of Trade is much altered
since that Time and as it would prove of evil Consequence to
reduce your Cask to the former Weight so it is very injurious
to the Crown if due Regard in Proportion be not had to its
Rights It is therefore expected on his Majesty's Behalf that
you will reform these Abuses. The Inhabitants of this Prov-
ince with a commendable Industry use their best Endeavours
to cultivate the Growth of Tobacco; but there still remain
many spacious Tracts of this fertile Soil especially on the
Eastern Shore, which is not so agreeable to the Nature of that
profitable Plant but excellently well adapted to the making of
Hemp. What of this kind has been hitherto only raised for
a Home Consumption in the Opinion of the Mariners equals
the best that grows in Europe. An Improvement of this
Manufacture is worthy your mature Consideration. You have
already great Encouragement from the Crown for Importation.
You are certain of a Market in England for your Produce, and
have a sufficient Quantity of Land (as I am informed) to sup-
ply Great Britain with Cordage forever. The want of Seamen
to navigate the vessels is a mighty Obstacle to the Trade of
this Province; and since the Humour of the Generality of the
People is such that they will not send their Children to Sea, if
some Method were found of disposing Annually of a certain
Number of the Youth maintained by the several Counties, it
would in few Years be of considerable Use and Advantage to
this Province in particular and promote Navigation in general.

p. 489