would come in to soften his judgment, but an impulse of humanity, also, would probably not infrequently cause him to be extremely lenient, the planter producing the inferior crop, perhaps from no fault of his own, being absolutely dependent upon its sale for the necessaries of life for himself and his family. By the terms of the amended law of 1682, the commander was to take no direct part in the inspection, his duty extending only to the appointment of two competent viewers, who were to report to him the result of their examination. To compel him to make this appointment, even when his inclinations were strongly averse to doing so, he was, in case of failure to conform to the statute, to be deprived during the course of twelve months of all right to hold office.[1]
The law was amended still more radically at the session of the General Assembly held in the winter of 1632-33. It was stated, that the object of the additional change was to raise the price of the exported tobacco by improving its quality. Inspection was to be made at five different points in the Colony, that is to say, at James City, Shirley Hundred Island, Denbigh, Southampton River in Elizabeth City, and Cheskiack. At each of these places, a store or warehouse was to be erected. Hither all the tobacco produced was to be brought by the planters previous to the last day of December in each year. Here it was to be carefully inspected, and all belonging to the meanest grade was to be taken from the great mass and burnt. This duty was to be performed once a week by men who were acting under oath, one of whom was always to be the member of the Council whose home was nearest to the particular warehouse. The tobacco judged to be vendible was to be stored away, the ownership to be recorded in the list of accounts to be kept for that
- ↑ Hening’s Statutes, vol. I, p. 190.
