VIRGINIA. One of the thirteen origi nal United States.
2. The name was given in honor of queen Eliza beth, the virgin queen of England. In 1666, J ames I. granted letters patent for planting colonies in Virginia. Theee grants in the letters patent em braced a country extending along the sea-coast between 34° and 45° north latitude, and were made to two companies: one of them to Sir Thomas Gates and others,—named the First Colony of Vir ginia,—the other " to Tho : Haoham and others, of the town of Plimouth," which was called the Second Colony of Virginia. The government pre scribed for these colonies was that each should have a council, consisting of thirteen persons, ap pointed by the king, to govern and order all mai tars according to laws and instructions given them by the king. There was also a counoil in England, of thirteen persons, ,appointed by the crown te have the supervising, managing, and direction of all matters that should concern the government of the colonies. This charter was followed by royal instructions dated the 20th November, 1606. Seel Hening, Va. Stat. 76, 571. Under thie charter a settlement was made at Jamestown in 1607, by the first colony. Upon the petition of the company, a new charter was granted by king James, on the 23d May, 1609, to the treasurer and company of the first (or southern) colony, for the further enlargement and explanation of the privileges of that company. 1 Bening, Stat. 80.
3. This charter granted to the company in abso lute property the lands extending from Cape or Point Comfort (at the mouth of James River) along the sea-coast two hundred miles to the north ward, and from the same point along the sea-coast two hundred miles to the southward, and up into the land throughout, from sea to sea, west and northwest, and, also, all islands lying within one hundred miles of the ceast of both seas of the pre oinct aforesaid. A new council in England was established, with power to the company to fill all vacancies therein by election.
On the 12th of March, 161i, king James granted a third charter to the first company, enlarging its domain so as to include all islands within three hundred leagues from its borders on the coasts of either sea. In 1612, a considerable proportion of lands previously held and cultivated in common was divided into three-acre lots and a lot appropri ated in absolute right to each individual. Not long afterwatds, fifty acres were surveyed and delivered to each of the colonists. In 1618, by a change of the constitution of the colony, burgesses elected by the people were made a branoh of the legislature.
Up to this time the settlement bad been graduilly increasing in number, and in 1624, upon a writ of quo warranto, a judgment was obtained dissolving the company and re-vesting its powers in the crown. In 1651 the plantation of Virginia came, by formal aet, under the obedience and government of the coM monwealth of England,the oolony, however, still re taining its former constitution. A new charter was to be granted, and many important privileges were secured. In 1680 a change was made in the colonial government, divesting the burgesses of the exercise of judioial power in the last resort, as had before that time been practised by that body, chid allow ing appeals from judgments of the general oourte, composed of the governor and council, to the king in council, where the matter in controversy exceeded the value of £300 sterling. Marshall, Col. 163; 1 Campb. 337.
4. By the treaty of 1763, all the conquests made by the French in North America, including the territory east of the Mississippi, were ceded to Great Britain.
The constitution of the colonial govemment of Virginia seems never to have been precisely fixed and accurately adjusted in any written memorials that are now accessible. The powers exercised by the burgesses varied at different period& The periods of their election and the length of time they eontinued in office it is difficult to ascertain from the reoords of Colonial history, and the qualifications of voters to elect them varied much at different periods. See Rev. Code, 38, Leigh's note; 2 Burk, App. 1. On the 12th of June, 1776, was unani mously adopted by the convention a deolaration of rights pertaining to the people, as a basis and foundation of government was adopted by the con von tion. This declaration still remains a part of the Virginia Code. On the 29th of Tune, 1776, Virginia adopted a constitution by a unanimous vote of the convention. The Articles of Confede ration were not finally adopted by congress until the 15th et November, 1777, and were adopted, subject to the ratification of the states. These artioles were laid before the Virginia Assembly on the 9th of December, 1777, and on the 15th unanimouslY assented to. In oompliance with the recommendation of congress, by a resolution of September 6, 1780, Virginia, by an act passed the 2d of January, 1781, proffered• a cession of her western lands. The oession was finally eompleted and accepted in 1784. Virginia as early as 1785 prepared to erect Kentucky into a state, and this was finally effected in Tune, 1792.