The Virginia Gazette

WILLIAMSBURG, MARCH 18.

On Monday last his Honour the House of Burgesses presented the following Address to his Excellency the Governour:

MY LORD,

WE, his Majesty's dutiful Subjects, beg Leave to present your Excellency our sincere Thanks for your Attention to the Interests of this Colony, by vigorously endeavouring to bring the Forgers of our Paper Currency to Justice; but the Proceedings in this Case, my Lord, though rendered necessary by the particular Nature of it, are nevertheless different from the usual Mode, it being regular that an examining Court on Criminals should be held either in the County where the Fact was committed or the Arrest made. The Duty we owe our Constituents obliges us, my Lord, to be as attentive to the Safety of the Innocent as we are desirous of punishing the Guilty; and we apprehend that a doubtful Construction and various Execution of criminal Law, does greatly endanger the Safety of innocent Men. We do therefore most humbly pray your Excellency that the Proceedings in this Case may not in future be drawn into Consequence or Example.

To which his Excellency was pleased to return the following Answer:

Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the House of Burgesses,

AS I have always made the Laws of the Country the Rule of my Conduct, I acted in this Affair with the greatest Caution, and took the Advice and Assistance of Gentlemen in whose Judgment, Candour, and Integrity, I could confide. In apprehending and bringing to Justice the Forgers of your Paper Currency, I little imagined, when I was endeavouring to punish the Guilty that my Conduct could, by any Means, be thought to endanger the Safety of the Innocent. Permit me to say, that all Laws doubtful in their Construction must be interpreted by the Courts of Justice. If I have done amiss, the same Method will not be repeated; but if it should be determined to be regular, I shall continue to exercise the Power I am invested with, whenever the Exigencies of Government, and the Good of the Country, require such Exertion; and, under such Circumstances, I am persuaded that no one (even the most timid) will be under the least Apprehension that this Proceeding may, in future, be drawn into Consequence or Example.

On Friday the Honourable the House of Burgesses came to the following Resolutions:

WHEREAS the Minds of his Majesty's faithful Subjects in this Colony have been much disturbed by various Rumours and Reports of Proceedings tending to deprive them of their ancient, legal, and constitutional Rights; and whereas the Affairs of this Colony are frequently connected with those of Great Britain, as well as of the neighbouring Colonies, which renders a Communication of Sentiments necessary : In Order, therefore, to remove the Uneasiness, and to quiet the Minds of the People, as well as for the other good Purposes above mentioned,

Be it resolved, that a standing Committee of Correspondence and Inquiry be appointed, to consist of eleven Persons, to wit, the Honourable Peyton Randolph, Esquire, Robert Carter Nicholas, Richard Bland, Richard Henry Lee, Benjamin Harrison, Edmund Pendleton, Patrick Henry, Dudley Digges, Dabney Carr, Archibald Cary, and Thomas Jefferson, Esquires, any six of whom to be a Committee, whose Business it shall be to obtain the most early and authentick Intelligence of all such Acts and Resolutions of the British Parliament, or Proceedings of Administration, as may relate to or affect the British Colonies in America; and to keep up and maintain a Correspondence, and Communication, with our Sister Colonies, respecting these important Considerations; and the Result of such their Proceedings, from Time to Time, to lay before this House.

Resolved, that it be an Instruction to the said Committee, that they do, without Delay, inform themselves particularly of the Principles and Authority on which was constituted a Court of Inquiry, said to have been lately held in Rhode Island, with Powers to transport Persons accused of Offences committed in America to Places beyond the Seas to be tried.

Resolved, that the Speaker of this House do transmit to the Speakers of the different Assemblies of the British Colonies on this Continent Copies of the said Resolutions, and desire that they will lay them before their respective Assemblies, and request them to appoint some Person, or Persons, of their respective Bodies, to communicate from Time to Time with the said Committee.

On Monday last, the Business of the General Assembly being finished, his Excellency the Governour, gave his Assent to the following Bills:

An Act for the better securing the publick Credit of this Colony.
An Act to prevent counterfeiting the Paper Money of other Colonies.
An Act to amend the Act entitled An Act for erecting a Lighthouse on Cape Henry.
An Act for establishing a Warehouse for the Inspection of Tobacco in the Town of Manchester.
An Act for altering the Bounds between the Parishes of Dale and Manchester, in Chesterfield County.
An Act to establish and enlarge the Power of the Trustees of the Town of Richmond, in the County of Henrico, and for other Purposes.
An Act for altering the Court Day of the County of Loudoun.
An Act for appointing two new Ferries, and discontinuing a former Ferry.
An Act for building a Bridge over Nottoway River, from the Land of Samuel Brown, by Subscription.
An Act for appointing Trustees for the Gingakin Indians.
An Act for making an Addition to the House appropriated to the Use of the publick Jailer.
An Act to dock the Entail of certain Lands whereof Lewis Burwell, Esquire, is seised, and for settling other Lands to the same Uses.
An Act to dock the Entail of Part of a Tract of Land whereof John Tazewell is seised, and for settling Slaves of greater Value to the same Uses.
An Act to vest certain entailed Lands whereof Bowles Armistead, Gentleman, is seised, in Trustees, to be sold for Payment of the Debts due from the Estate of his late Father, William Armistead, Esquire.
An Act for appointing Commissioners for selling the Tobacco damaged in the publick Warehouse for the Inspection of Tobacco at Aquia, and for other Purposes therein mentioned.
An Act for the Ease and Relief of the People, by paying the Burgesses in Money for this present Session of Assembly.

And then closed the Session with the following Speech:

Gentlemen of the COUNCIL, Mr. SPEAKER, and Gentlemen of the House of Burgesses,

AS you have now gone through the Business for which you were assembled, and having nothing farther to propose to you at present, it becomes necessary to put an End to this Session of Assembly; and I recommend to you to use your Endeavours, in your several Counties, to abolish that Spirit of Gaming which I am afraid but too generally prevails among the People, and to substitute in its Place a Love of Agriculture, and Attention to their private Affairs, by which you will render a most essential Service to them and your Country. I do prorogue you to the third Thursday in June next, and you are accordingly prorogued to Thursday the 17th of June next.

The Arnold, Waterman, and William, Clark, are safe arrived at the Port of London.