future, like all that had been enacted in the past, would accomplish nothing whatever, but the belief was still too widespread that a statute had power to effect any purpose, however opposed to the spirit of the economic system of the people upon whose interests it was designed to operate.
The General Assembly showed great willingness to conform to the wishes of the English Government, although its members must have perceived very clearly the impracticability of all schemes to promote the building of towns in the Colony. In the session of 1661-62, the law requiring that every ship which arrived in James River should sail to Jamestown and there obtain a license to trade was reënacted,[1] in spite of the fact that such a measure would add nothing to the growth of that place, as had been already proved by previous experience, and must enhance to an appreciable extent the cost of all imported articles in consequence of the longer voyage and unavoidable delay in delivering them, the expenses of the vessel being recouped by the higher prices demanded from the purchaser of the goods. There was now but one justification for the action of the Assembly in taking steps to compel all vessels bringing cargoes of goods into the Colony to go to Jamestown and there obtain a license to sell, namely, the endeavor to keep the volume of revenue undiminished, since all liquors, if landed elsewhere, escaped the burden of the import tax. But if this was the motive governing the Assembly, it was soon seen that the regulation was impracticable. A determined effort was now made to carry out the instruction that a town should be built upon every river to serve as a port of entry. In the session of 1662 there was passed the most detailed and carefully considered measure which had as yet been brought forward.[2]
