Chapter XLV

1703.

Assembly held in the College--Ceremony of opening the
Session--The Governor's Speech.

A MEETING of the general assembly was held at her majesty's Royal College of William and Mary, in March, 1703, being the second year of Queen Anne's reign, and, by prorogation, again in April, 1704.[364:A] The clerk of the general assembly was ordered to wait upon the house of burgesses and inform them that his excellency commanded their immediate attendance on him in the council chamber. The burgesses having complied with this order, his excellency was pleased to let them know that her most sacred majesty having been pleased to renew his commission to be her majesty's lieutenant and governor-general of this her majesty's most ancient and great colony and dominion of Virginia, he would cause the said commission to be read to them. This being done, he read them that part of his instructions wherein the council are nominated, and informed the house that upon the death of Colonel Page, the number of councillors having fallen under nine, he had appointed one to supply that vacancy. The governor next mentioned to the house that he had commissioned some of her majesty's honorable council to administer the oath to the burgesses. Whereupon they withdrew, and the oath was administered by the Honorable William Byrd, John Lightfoot, and Benjamin Harrison. These gentlemen returning to the council chamber, the clerk of the assembly was ordered to wait again upon the house of burgesses, and acquaint them that his excellency commanded their immediate attendance on him. The house of burgesses complying with this order, the governor made the following speech:--

"HONORABLE GENTLEMEN,--

"God Almighty, I hope, will be graciously pleased so to
direct, guide, and enable us, as that we may, to all intents
and purposes, answer her majesty's writ by which this assembly
was called, and by prorogation is now met in this her majesty
Queen Anne her royal capitol; which being appointed by law for
holding general assemblies and general courts, my hopes
likewise are that they may continue to be held in this place
for the promoting of God's glory, her majesty, and her
successors' interest and service with that of the inhabitants
of this her majesty's most ancient and great colony and
dominion of Virginia, so long as the sun and moon endure.
Gentlemen, her most sacred majesty having been graciously
pleased to send me her royal picture and arms for this her
colony and dominion, I think the properest place to have them
kept in, will be this council chamber; but it not being as yet
quite finished, I cannot have them so placed as I would.

"By private accounts which I have from England, I understand
her majesty hath lately thought fit to appoint a day of public
fasting and humiliation there; but I have not yet seen her
majesty's royal proclamation for it, which makes me not
willing to appoint one here till I have. And had it not been
for this, I designed that her majesty's royal picture and arms
should have been first seen by you on St. George his day, and
to have kept it as a day of public thanksgiving, it being the
day on which her majesty was crowned, and bearing the name of
his royal highness the Prince of Denmark, and likewise of the
patron of our mother kingdom of England.

"Honorable gentlemen, I don't in the least doubt but that you
will join with me in paying our most humble and dutiful
acknowledgments and thanks to her most sacred majesty for this
great honor and favor which she hath been pleased to bestow
upon your country, and in praying that she may have a long,
prosperous, successful, and victorious reign, as also that she
may in all respects not only equal, but even outdo her royal
predecessor, Queen Elizabeth, of ever-glorious memory, in the
latter end of whose reign this country was discovered, and in
honor of her called Virginia.

"It is now within two years of a century since its being first
seated, at which time, if God Almighty and her majesty shall
be so pleased, I design to celebrate a jubilee, and that the
inhabitants thereof may increase exceedingly, and also abound
with riches and honors, and have extraordinary good success in
all their undertakings, but chiefly that they may be exemplary
in their lives and conversations, continue in their religion
of the Church of England as by law established, loyal to the
crown thereof, and that all these things may come to pass, I
question not but you will most cordially join with me in our
most unfeigned and hearty prayers to God Almighty for them."

At the close of this verbose speech, the burgesses returned to their house, and the council adjourned.[366:A]

FOOTNOTES:

[364:A] A meeting of the council was held, consisting of his Excellency Francis Nicholson, Esq., lieutenant and governor-general, and William Byrd, John Lightfoot, Benjamin Harrison, Robert Carter, John Custis, Philip Ludwell, William Basset, Henry Duke, Robert Quarry, and John Smith, Esquires.

[366:A] Documents in S. Literary Messenger, communicated by Wyndham Robertson, Esq., having been copied by his father, while he was clerk of the council, from old papers in the council chamber.