enlargement of privileges and immunities, their application has been always made to the King. And it doth not appear to me, that ever they have made any application to Parliament since King James I. took them out of the company's hands in 1624, on any occasion whatever, except once or twice when it was apprehended some bills, depending in Parliament, would pass into Acts, which would be prejudicial to their trade abroad, till they remonstrated against the Stamp Act. And, indeed, they have had very little encouragement to do so again, if what their agent hath told them be true; that their remonstrances against that bill (though modest as could be expected from men not sunk into the most abject slavery) were not so much as permitted to be heard. Such hath been the form of government under which we have lived from the year 1621, when our government was thoroughly established by charter from the company, to this present date. This we think a succession of years sufficient to establish that argument in support of our rights, had we no other, which is called prescription; for, during this whole period, no archives, records, or histories, that any here are acquainted with, or that any with you have cited, as far as I know, show, that ever the British Parliament attempted to tax us, or intermeddle in any matters relative to our interior government, till the date of this unhappy Stamp Act. All these rather prove the contrary. Nay, it appears that some Acts, even under an arbitrary Stewartine reign sent over hither with Lord Culpepper, when he came as Governor, were, by his Lordship's instructions, previously to their execution, to be subjected to the consideration of our General Assembly, in order to obtain their consent. It further appears, that they were so subjected and consented to by the Assembly, after the addition of two pro-
