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22 The English Government in Virginia } In Virginia there are about 20 Counties; And in every County there is a Court, which consists of about 8 or 10 Justices of the peace, who are ordinarily the Gentlemen of the best parts and Estates: Twice in the year, there is a generall Court, as they call it, held at James Town for greater matters & for Criminall cases, by the Governour & Council. Some of the Chief Gentlemen

of the Country are recommended by the Governour

to the King to be of his Council, who are ordinarily commissioned by the King. The Countrey is governed by the Laws of Ingland mostly; tho there are other Lawes, which ye condition of ye Countrey requires, wch are made by the assembly, which the Governour calls at pleasure. This Assembly consists of the House of Burgesses, as they call it, that is, of two Gentlemen from every County chosen by the ffreeholders; Those they call their Burgesses, and they make, as it were, ye Lower House of parliament: The upper House is the Governour and Council. When an Act is passt in ye House of Burgesses, it must be approved by the Governour & Council, and then sent to Ingland, to be Confirmed by ye King. insert marginal note At the first planting of this Country, people were not restrained to a certain number of Acres of Land, as, in New England & Pensylvania; And so every body endeavoured

to take up great Tracts of Land, seing they cost

them nothing but the charges of surveighing, & taking out their patent, & the quit Rents payed to ye King, wch was formerly a shilling for a 100 acres, but is now two shillings or 24 pound weight of Tobacco; and so their having such great Tracts of Land (as some have 10 or 20000 Acres, & most part three or four hundred) makes the Countrey to be thin seated, and ye people very remote from one another. marginal note: what is granted by ym is still in unclear till it be repealed by ye K. & yt is ones unclear by ye K. cannot be repealed by H? wtout their own unclear