Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

His Excellency Francis Nicholson Esq^r. yo^r Majtys
Lieuten^t. and Govern^r. genrl of this yo^r Colony & Dominion of
Virginia having laid before us your Majtys most dutifull & loyal
Subjects y^e Council and Burgesses in y^e generl Assembly of yo^r Colony
and Dominion of Virginia now convened, yo^r Majtys Letter da-
ted at yo^r Court at Hampton Court y^e nineteenth day of Jan^ry
in y^e 12^th Year of yo^r reign in these words,

"Whereas it is requisite y^t y^e general security of o^r plantatons
"upon y^e Continent of America be provided for by a Contributon
"in proportion to y^e respective abilitys of each plantaton: And
"whereas y^e northern Frontiers of our province of new York being
"y^e most exposed to an enimy, doe require an extraordinary Charge
"for y^e erecting and maintaining of Forts necessary for y^e defense
"thereof, towards w^ch. we have lately been graciously pleased to
"give y^e summe of two thousand five hundred pounds sterling,
"and have allso directed y^t our sd province of new York should ex-
"ert y^e utmost of their power in providing for those & y^e like occa-
"sions; but it being yet further needfull yt our other plantatons
"and Colonys on y^t Continent, doe allso contribute to so great a work,
"wherein their own security is so much concerned: Our Will &
"pleasure is y^t You signify to o^r Council, and y^e gener^l. Assembly
"of our Colony of Virginia, y^t y^e summe w^ch we have at p^rsent
"thought fit to be contributed by o^r sd Colony, in proportion to
"what we doe now in like manner direct to be supplyed by o^r
"other plantatons towards y^e Fortificatons on y^e Frontiers of
"new York, is nine hundred pounds sterling: And You are accord-
"ingly in our Name, to recommend to ym yt they furnish y^e sd sume
"of nine hundred pounds sterling, and further to take care y^t y^e
"same be remitted for y^e use aforesd to such person or persons as y^e
"Earl of Bellomont, or y^e Command^r in Chief of our provinse
"of new York, for y^e time being, shall appoint to receive the
"same. And in case y^e Frontiers of o^r sd. Provinse of new York
"be at any time invaded by an enimy, you are allso upon y^e
"Application of y^e sd Earl, or y^e Comd^r in chief of y^e sd pro-
"vince for y^e time being, immediately to furnish a quota of
"men, or money in lieu thereof, from o^r Colony of Virginia
"according to y^e Repartiton herewith sent You. And You are withall
"to signify to o^r Council and y^e general Assembly of Virginia, that
"according to their behavior in this occasion, they will recomend them
"selves to our royal Grace and favour.

In answer thereto, we beg leave in all humility to represent to
yo^r Majty yt we are exceeding sensible of yo^r Majtys Care, as of all
your Dominions in general, so particularly of yo^r English Subjects sea-
ted on y^e Continent of America; and doe very thankfully acknowledge
y^e same, yt with equal gratitude we take notice of yo^r Majestys
Justice & Goodness to us, in proceeding w^th us in so parliamentary
away; whereby we have y^e opportunity of representing to yo^r Majty y^e
State and Condition of this Country; as well as y^e province of new York,
who have been beforehand with us in representing their dangers, and
interposing for y^e Assistanse of yo^r Majtys authority towards y^e pro-
curing a Contributon for Forts in their Frontiers. We would hum-
bly pray yo^r Majty to consider y^t this is not y^e first time they have
attempted such a Contributon, it being a design of a great many Years,
standing, w^ch. they have all along vigorously prosecuted, and y^t after
y^e utmost care which has been taken of us of this Government to
inform our selves of y^e true intent of such Forts & Contributons, parti-
cularly by sending an Agent to consider and treat of y^t matter, with
y^e Agents of yo^r Majtys other Dominions on this Continent in the
Year 1693, we can not find to this day, y^t there is any more at y^e
bottom of it, than an intention in ym to secure to ym selves y^e Comand
of y^e whole Trade with y^e northern Indians for Bever & Deer-skins.

We likewise desire yo^r Majty to consider, yt a Letter of y^e like na-
ture with this, was sent by her late Majty of blessed memory to S^r
Edm^d. Andros o^r yⁿ Govern^r. and by him laid before y^e general Assem-
bly of this Country in y^e year 1693—& 1695, by w^ch. Letter it is plain
yt it was obtaind by y^e representaton of y^e Governm^t. of New York;
and we humbly beg leave to refer o^r selves to y^e proceeding of those
Assemblys, and to y^e many good reasons by ym offerd why this Country
ought not to be burthend with any such Contributon. And yet so great
was y^e regard they had to yo^r Majtys interposition in y^t affair, y^t purely
to signify their complyance with yo^r Majty, and in hopes to get rid
of all trouble from y^e sollicitatons of new York concerning y^e like
Contributons for y^e future: y^e Assembly of y^e Year 1695 advanced to yo^r
Majty for their use, y^e summe of five hundred pounds, thoug^h at y^e
same time they were utterly unsatisfyed, both as to y^e pretended Wants
and dangers of new York, and their own obligatons and abilitys
to relieve y^m; and were sufficiently exposed to y^e hard Censures of y^e
people, who generally exclamed agst ym for affording even that
small assistance.

As to what is hinted in yo^r Majtys Letter, y^t new York
is most immediately exposed to dangers, and y^t in their defense
our security is very much conserned: We humbly beg leave to lay be-
fore yo^r Majty, y^t we conceive o^rselves to be every way as much
exposed, both to y^e French and Indians, as they are; great Na-
tions of Indians to y^e South and West daly infesting o^r open Fron-
tiers; and even y^e northern Indians from y^e Lakes & other
places on y^e back of new York, passing far wide of y^m. as
being allready well garded by yo^r Majtys Forts and Garrisons,
and falling upon us who are naked and defenceless, & scattered
about in remote and separate plantatons. The French allso
on y^e lakes on y^e river messachippi, & on y^e northside of Cape Flo-
rida (where we are just now informed of their late settlem^t.
by a Gentleman of good Credit, arrived here, from south Carolina)
having a very easy passage to us, besides y^t we live in y^e way of
their ships as they sail from y^e Gulph; and y^e Government of
new York is no more a Barriar to defend us from any of all
these enimys, than we are to y^m; and of y^e two, they are y^e much
more able by reason of their cohabitaton, riches, trade & more
plentifull estates to afford contributons to y^e other; o^r estates arri-
sing purely from o^r hard labour in making Tobacco; y^e profit
whereof is exhausted by customs & Impositions y^t amount to
3 or 4 times y^e price of y^e first cost we have for it, y^e lasting Cause
of y^e poverty of this Country. Particularly, at y^e time of receiv-
ing this yo^r Majtys letter, we were actually ingaged in so many
publick and chargeable undertakings, y^e building of o^r Assembly &
Court-houses, y^e revisal of o^r laws, y^e paying for y^e land of the
City of Williamsburgh; besides y^e great charge of y^e pyrats, w^ch
we had lately undergon; y^t before we received these yo^r royal Com-
mands, we had addressed yo^r Majty for some assistance out of y^e
quitrents, to help us to defray y^e charge of what we had even yⁿ
undertaken: And we are now contriving how to defend o^r own
open Frontiers by sea and land, in case of this impending
war with y^e French and Spaniards, for w^ch. it will be a very hard
matter to find out y^e Ways and means, all Funds being allready so
much exhausted, yt we have laid Taxes upon our very servants and
slaves, to defray o^r present ingagements.

And it will appear, upon an impartial consideration of y^e
number of our Freemen, and y^e acc^t. of o^r Arms compared w^th. y^e
largeness of the Frontiers we have to defend, y^t we are as weak in
men and Arms, as we are poor in money. And yt yo^r Majesty
may have y^e truest and best acc^t. we can give of y^e evil conse-
quences of detaching such a quota of men out of this Country,
as is mentioned in y^e Repartiton, we humbly offer to yo^r Majty
y^e following Consideratons.

• 1.(Not to insist upon y^e Charge and difficulty of tran^s-
  porting and marching y^e men such a long way through Coun-
  trys entangled with great rivers, Swamps, Woods, & Marshes,
  and yt they will probably come too late for y^e assistance of new
  York, in case of an Invasion) we think it worth y^e considering
  yt for every man carryed out of Virginia, thô it were but for 3
  moneths in y^e Year (and if carryed to new York, it will not
  be for a less time) your Majty will lose at least twenty pound^s
  sterling p man in y^e annual Customs w^ch. his labor in Tobac-
  co would produce, over and above y^e Charge of his transporta-
  tion, pay and subsistance.
• (2) That upon y^e first notice of such a detachment to be
  made, we are sensible, considering y^e dissatisfaction of this Country on
  y^t acc^t. y^t it is to be feared most of y^e single men, and poorer sort of
  House-keepers will remove y^m. selves into y^e neighboring Governm^t.
  of Carolina; or elsewhere, where there is no quota of men required;
  a thing very easy to be done, and now daly put in practice by
  Servants and bankrupts, and others under uneasy Circumstances.
  And we can not conceive but y^t by this means, at least
  treble y^e number of men will be lost to this Country over & above
  y^e quota required.
• 3. From hence it will follow y^t y^e men to be detatched
  must be freeholders and house-keepers; and y^t in their absence
  their servants and Slaves will not make above half the Crops
  of Tobacco they now make; w^ch. will lessen yo^r Majtys revenue
  more than all y^e rest.
• 
• 4.And we are further apprehensive this will be at-
  ttended with an other pernicious consequence (viz) y^t between
  y^e French, Spanish, and Indian Enimys without, and y^e
  unruly Servants and slaves (in their masters absense) within;
  and y^e loss of so many men sent to new York, and so many
  men who shall have removed y^m selves out of this Country:
  y^e Country itself will be so exposed, y^t it will be hardly able
  to defend it self; and so will become an easy prey to an
  enimy.
• 5.And if this Country is once lost, Maryld must run
  y^e same Fate, as having all it's trade through o^r Capes, and
  consequently at y^e discretion of y^e Conquerors of this Country.

We would humbly represent to yo^r Majty, y^t y^e Trade of
Virginia and Maryland is of far greater consequence to yo^r
Majtys revenue, than new York, were it vastly better than
it is.

All which we most humbly submit to yo^r Majestys Con-
sideraton; hoping upon this true representaton of o^r Case,
yo^r Majty will in yo^r great Wisdome judge o^r Conditon
to be such, y^t we are in more want of assistance o^r selves,
than capable of affording it to others; and out of your wonted
goodness, will be graciously pleasd to supercede yo^r Comands
for any supply of men and money to new York from this
yo^r poor Country. And as y^e Council and Burgesses y^e Re-
presentatives thereof, who, as in duty bound, shall ever pray
for yo^r Majtys Victory and Success over all yo^r Enimys, and long
and prosperous reign over us.

Addresses
1703