The Upper House. 105

Proprietary and the Welfare of the people may be happily Improved
to mutual Satisfaction
I have it in Command from his Lordship to assure you that noth-
ing could ever be more disagreable to him than the least appearance
of difference between him and his Tenants, some former votes in
the House of Burgesses did first Alarm his Lordship and put him
on his Guard lest by joyning therein or in some Consequences of
them he should be led insensibly into Resolutions of the nature of
the Sovereign Right of the Crown of England to this Province an
inquisition equally nice and dangerous from hence arose a Cautious
Regard to everything that might seem any ways to interfere with a
Title so far above his [Conisance] tis from a like wary Concern
that he has found himself Obliged to Disassent to the late Act pre-
scribing the Oath of Justice forasmuch as the words thereof not
only seem to reflect on the Crown but may also be Genuinly Con-

U. H. J.

strued as intended to Affect his Majestys Royal Prerogative in sev-
eral of its Branches as well in those reserved peculiarly to his sover-
eign person as in those delegated to or rather deposited and trusted
by the Charter to the Lord Proprietary for the safe Guarding of
which from dimunition his Lordship is as accountable as for any ill
use he could make of them his Lordship in duty to his Trust and in
Justice to himself and you has hitherto and. will ever preserve the
Royal Charter Inviolable on his part and whatever is the Constitu-
tion of this Province by the said Charter as well as all Consequen-
tial Rights Customs and Usages his Lordship is most willing to
secure to you and has therefore Ordered me to lay before you the
form of an Oath whereby the same measure of Law and right will
be preserved to you and your Posteritys which your Ancestors and
your selves have ever enjoyed
I am also to acquaint you from his Lordship that the General
Address of the last Session of Assembly to his Majesty has been
presented by his Lordship and by his Majesty most Graciously Re-
ceived
I am desired by the Government of Virginia to lay before you the
draught of an Act passed the last Session of Assembly for the erect-
ing a light House on Cape Henry to which they desire the Concur-
rence of this province by a like Act to be made here it has been a
matter so long talked of that you must be best apprized of the Use-
fulness of it
I think I need not recommend to you the careful pursuit of our
common Interest in Advancing the Staple of this province but as
you best know the evils that at present debase it you can best Advice
the way for Relief
I shall now leave you with a word or two concerning myself, as
nothing can be more shocking to an Ingenious mind than a distrust

p. 34i