Part 18 (1/2)

The clerks of courts, sheriffs and surveyors, are limited according to the several counties. The clerks of courts receive their commissions from the secretary of State; the sheriffs theirs from the governor, and the surveyors of land theirs from the governors of the college, in whom the office of surveyor general is vested by their charter.

The clerks' profits proceed from stated fees, upon all law suits and business in their respective courts, except the clerk of the general court, who is paid a salary by the secretary, who takes the fees of that court to himself.

The sheriff's profit is likewise by fees on all business done in the county courts, to which he is the ministerial officer, and not judge of the county court, as Mr. Oldmixon styles him, page 298; but the best of his income is by a salary of all public tobacco, which is constantly put into the sheriff's hands, to be collected and put into hundreds, convenient for the market. He has likewise several other advantages, which make his place very profitable.

The profits of the surveyors of land are according to the trouble they take. Their fees being proportioned to the surveys they make.

The coroner is a commissioner officer also, but his profits are not worth naming, though he has large fees allowed him when he does any business. There are two or more of them appointed in each parish, as occasion requires; but in the vacancy or absence of any, upon an exigency, the next justice of peace does the business and receives the fee, which is one hundred and thirty-three pounds of tobacco for an inquest on a dead corpse, any other business seldom falling in his way.

-- 11. There are other ministerial officers that have no commission; which are, surveyors of the highways, constables and headboroughs. These are appointed, relieved and altered annually by the county courts, as they see occasion; and such bounds are given them as those courts think most convenient.

CHAPTER IV.

OF THE STANDING REVENUES, OR PUBLIC FUNDS IN VIRGINIA.

-- 12. There are five sorts of standing public revenues in that country, viz: 1. A rent reserved by the crown upon all the lands granted by patent. 2. A revenue granted to his majesty by act of a.s.sembly, for the support and maintenance of the government. 3. A revenue raised by the a.s.sembly, and kept in their own disposal, for extraordinary occasions.

4. A revenue raised by the a.s.sembly, and granted to the college. And 5.

A revenue raised by act of parliament in England upon the trade there.

-- 13. 1. The rent reserved upon their lands, is called his majesty's revenue of quit rents, and is two s.h.i.+llings for every hundred acres of land, patented by any person in that country, and two pence per acre for all lands found to escheat; this is paid into the treasury there by all, except the inhabitants of the Northern Neck, who pay nothing to the king; but the whole quit rent of that neck is paid to certain proprietors of the Lord Colepepper's family, who have the possession thereof to themselves, upon the pretensions before rehea.r.s.ed in the first part of this book.

This revenue has been upwards of fifteen hundred pounds a year, since tobacco has held a good price. It is lodged in the receiver general's hands, to be disposed of by his majesty. This money is left in bank there, to be made use of upon any sudden and dangerous emergency, except when it is called home to England; and for want of such a bank, Sir William Berkeley was not able to make any stand against Bacon, whom otherwise he might easily have subdued, and consequently have prevented above one hundred thousand pounds expense to the crown of England, to pacify those troubles.

-- 14. 2. The revenue granted 10 his majesty by act of a.s.sembly, for the support and maintenance of the government, arises first out of a duty of two s.h.i.+llings per hogshead, which is paid for every hogshead of tobacco exported out of that colony. 2. By a rate of fifteen pence per ton for every s.h.i.+p, upon each return of her voyage, whether she be empty or full. 3. By a duty of sixpence per poll for every pa.s.senger, bound or free, going into that country to remain. 4. By the fines and forfeitures imposed by several acts of a.s.sembly. There is also an addition, by wafts and strays having no owner, composition of two pence per acre for escheat land, chattels escheat, and the sale of land instead of rights, at five s.h.i.+llings per right; all which are paid into the hands of the receiver general, and disposed of by the governor and council, (with liberty for the a.s.sembly to inspect the accounts when they meet,) for defraying the public charges of the government.

The revenue, _communibus annis_, amounts to more than three thousand pounds a year.

-- 15. 3. The revenue arising by act of a.s.sembly, and reserved to their own disposal, is of two sorts, viz: a duty upon liquors imported from the neighboring plantations, and a duty upon all slaves and servants imported, except English.

The duty on liquors used to be 4d. per gallon on all wines, rum, and brandy; and 1d. per gallon on beer, cider and other liquors, discounting twenty per cent. upon the invoice, except oats.

The duty on servants and slaves used to be twenty s.h.i.+llings for each servant, not being a native of England or Wales, and five pounds for each slave or negro.

The former of these duties amounts _communibus annis_, to six hundred pounds a year, and the latter to more or less, as the negro s.h.i.+ps happen to arrive.

The charge of building and adorning the governor's house and capitol, was defrayed by these duties, and so was the erecting of the public prison.

These funds are gathered into the hands of the treasurer of the country, and are disposed of only by order of a.s.sembly.

-- 16. 4. The revenue raised by the a.s.sembly, and granted to the college, is a duty on all skins and furs exported. This fund raises about an hundred pounds a year, and is paid by the collectors, to the college treasurer.

-- 17. 5 and last. The fund raised by act of parliament in England upon the trade there, is a duty of one penny per pound, upon all tobacco exported to the plantations, and not carried directly to England. This duty was laid by Stat. 25, Car. 2, cap. 7, and granted to the king and his successors; and by their gracious majesties King William and Queen Mary, it was given to the college. This duty does not raise, both in Virginia and Maryland, above two hundred pounds a year, and is accounted for to the college treasurer.