lepepper carried one that was very pleasing to himself, viz., the act
for raising a public revenue for the better support of the government.
By this he got the duties contained therein to be made perpetual; and
that the money, which before used to be accounted for to the assembly,
should be from thenceforth disposed of by his majesty's sole direction,
for the support of the government. When this was done, he obtained of
the king out of the said duties a salary of two thousand pounds per
annum, instead of one thousand, which was formerly allowed. Also one
hundred and sixty pounds per annum for house rent, besides all the usual
perquisites.

Sec. 120. In those submissive times his lordship reduced the greatest
perquisite of his place to a certainty, which before that was only
gratuitous; that is, instead of the masters of ships making presents of
liquors or provisions towards the governor's house keeping, as they were
wont to do, he demanded a certain sum of money, remitting that custom.
This rate has ever since been demanded of all commanders as a duty; and
is twenty shillings for each ship or vessel, under an hundred tons, and
thirty shillings for each ship upwards of that burden, to be paid every
voyage, or port clearing.

Sec. 121. This noble lord seemed to lament the unhappy state of the country
in relation to their coin. He was tenderly concerned that all their cash
should be drained away by the neighboring colonies, which had not set so
low an estimate upon it as Virginia; and therefore he proposed the
raising of it.

This was what the country had formerly desired, and the assembly was
about making a law for it: but his lordship stopped them, alledging it
was the king's prerogative, by virtue of which he would do it by
proclamation. This they did not approve of, well knowing, if that were
the case, his lordship and every other governor would at any time have
the same prerogative of altering it, and so people should never be at
any certainty; as they quickly after found from his own practice. For
his drift was only to make advantage of paying the soldiers; money for
that purpose being put into his lordship's hands, he provided light
pieces of eight, which he with this view had bought at a cheap rate.
When this contrivance was ripe for execution, he extended the royal
prerogative, and issued forth a proclamation for raising the value of
pieces of eight from five to six shillings; and as soon as they were
admitted