To
the
Honourable
,
the
Commons
House
of
Parliament
.
The
Information
of
Iohn
Bargraue
Esquire
,
shewing
the
seuerall
abuses
of
the
Gouernment
of
the
Plantation
in
Virginia
against
-
Sir
Thomas
Smith
knight
.
-
Alderman
Iohnson
&
alias
.
SHewing
to
this
Honourable
House
as
I
haue
formerly
done
in
the
last
Parliament
(
where
it
was
receiued
as
a
greiuance
,
Amongst
many
Articles
that
punish
offences
with
death
,
the
15.
being
death
for
trading
with
the
Indians
,
the
35.
death
for
carrying
a
Barke
or
Pinnace
out
of
the
Riuer
,
the
36
death
for
selling
,
or
giuing
any
Commoditie
to
bee
transported
out
of
the
Collonie
;
are
those
by
which
the
Petititioner
suffered
dammage
.
And
because
it
was
iudged
that
the
Planter
would
be
too
much
grieued
with
these
Lawes
,
they
haue
made
it
death
,
Article
12.
to
vtter
vnseemely
speeches
either
against
his
Maiestie
or
the
Comittees
of
the
Virginia
Company
,
or
against
any
booke
that
shall
be
set
out
&
published
,
intimating
thereby
this
booke
to
bee
published
by
the
authoritie
of
the
Company
.
as
by
an
Order
of
the
said
Parliament
appeareth
)
That
whereas
the
Kings
Maiestie
for
the
aduancement
of
the
Plantation
,
did
by
his
Patent
encorporate
a
Free
Companie
,
the
Bodie
whereof
consisting
of
a
Treasurer
,
or
his
Deputie
,
foure
Councellors
,
and
fifteene
Commoners
;
who
being
tied
to
make
their
Lawes
(
aswell
by
the
said
Patent
as
by
certaine
Royall
instructions
giuen
by
his
Maiestie
)
according
to
the
Lawes
of
England
,
both
they
themselues
and
such
as
were
admitted
by
them
to
be
of
the
Companie
,
were
to
haue
free
Trade
in
Virginia
,
as
by
the
said
Parent
appeareth
.
Your
Petitioner
seauen
yeares
since
being
encouraged
to
aduenture
in
the
said
Company
by
a
Patent
that
promised
him
free
Trade
,
he
found
himselfe
,
his
estate
,
and
those
he
employed
,
inthralled
to
the
willes
of
a
few
,
who
abusing
the
publique
,
or
any
priuate
Planter
as
they
listed
,
they
layd
all
the
fault
on
the
Company
.
-
1.
First
,
therefore
your
Petitioner
accuseth
Sir
Thomas
Smith
and
some
others
vnknowne
,
in
the
Companies
name
,
and
without
the
Companies
consent
(
contrarie
to
his
Maiesties
Patent
and
Royall
Instructions
,
and
to
the
Common
Lawes
of
England
,
haue
caused
to
be
printed
and
sent
to
Virginia
a
certaine
Booke
of
tirannicall
Gouernment
,
whereby
many
of
the
Kings
Subiects
there
lost
their
liues
,
and
were
brought
into
slauery
,
and
the
Petitioner
and
those
he
imployed
were
thereby
much
damnified
,
to
their
great
losse
.
-
2.
That
the
said
Sir
Thomas
Smith
,
Alderman
Iohnson
,
and
others
(
terming
themselues
the
Company
)
haue
contrary
to
the
Patent
and
Instructions
(
by
practise
)
made
a
Monopolie
of
the
Plantation
,
and
of
the
labours
of
all
the
Planters
there
,
sinking
or
raysing
the
prises
of
Commodities
as
three
or
foure
of
them
list
,
barring
free
trade
from
any
other
free
of
the
Company
but
themselues
,
selling
their
Goods
before
their
faces
,
and
by
setting
of
prises
only
of
Tobacco
and
Sarsafras
,
they
caused
all
other
Staple
Commodities
to
be
neglected
there
;
so
as
eight
or
ten
Shippes
going
to
Virginia
in
one
yeare
,
all
came
from
thence
emptie
,
except
the
Megazine
Shippe
.
-
3.
That
the
said
Sir
Thomas
Smith
practising
with
three
,
foure
,
or
fiue
,
which
he
tearmeth
the
Company
,
by
secret
instructions
giuen
to
the
Gouernours
in
Virginia
,
to
barre
the
Petitioners
Trade
by
tyrannous
Lawes
there
,
which
made
it
death
to
Trade
,
by
detayning
of
the
Petitioners
Goods
by
fraudulent
sale
of
them
,
and
by
making
stay
of
his
Shippes
,
haue
preiudiced
your
Petitioner
in
Moneys
and
vse
money
to
the
value
of
ten
thousand
pounds
:
Which
abuses
your
Petitioner
hath
made
proofe
of
them
in
Chancerie
vpon
a
full
hearing
there
before
the
Right
Honourable
the
Lord
Keeper
,
who
because
he
could
not
distinguish
the
Actions
of
the
Defendants
from
the
Actions
of
the
Company
,
he
found
it
to
be
matter
of
State
,
and
referred
your
Petitioner
to
the
Councell-Table
.
-
4.
That
Sir
Thomas
Smiths
Accompts
for
the
moneys
receiued
for
Virginia
are
false
,
grosse
and
vnexaminable
,
because
the
originalls
being
lost
,
there
appeareth
neyther
Warrants
for
the
issuing
of
the
Monies
,
nor
Receipts
for
the
paying
of
them
.
It
were
hard
if
Sir
Thomas
Smith
should
be
censured
by
his
owne
Lawe
,
Article
the
17.
Death
for
making
of
a
falle
accompt
.
-
5.
That
during
the
time
that
your
Petitioners
Cause
and
the
busines
of
Virginia
hath
depended
at
the
Board
,
Sir
Thomas
Smith
(
to
conceale
the
iniquitie
of
his
Gouernment
from
his
Maiestie
)
he
hath
caused
the
King
to
be
misinformed
concerning
the
Lord
Keepers
Decree
,
caused
a
mistaken
Order
(
that
cleane
altered
the
sence
of
the
Lords
of
the
Councells
Reports
)
to
be
deliuered
to
his
Maiestie
,
caused
a
Commission
for
the
rectifying
of
the
abuses
,
and
the
settleing
of
a
Gouernment
for
Virginia
to
sleepe
and
be
of
no
force
,
(
when
there
were
neere
vpon
80.
Articles
put
in
against
them
,
and
but
foure
of
them
examined
)
by
vnderhand
,
offering
a
great
some
of
Mony
,
whereby
he
hath
thrust
the
blame
of
misgouernment
on
others
,
robbed
the
Common-wealth
of
her
great
Examples
,
and
your
Petitioner
from
meanes
of
recouering
his
Right
,
except
he
be
releiued
by
this
Honourable
House
.
Your
Petitioners
Sure
,
is
,
that
Sir
Thomas
Smith
may
forthwith
be
required
to
make
answere
to
these
Articles
,
and
that
the
abuses
of
encroaching
on
Soueraigne
power
,
of
abusing
publique
Authoritie
to
priuate
ends
,
of
robbing
the
publique
Treasurie
,
being
examined
and
prooued
,
your
Petitiouer
may
find
reliefe
for
his
particuler
wrongs
,
and
the
Commonwealth
may
not
loose
her
life
of
Examples
;
And
your
Petitioner
shall
be
bound
to
pray
for
you
,
&c.
The
words
of
the
Kings
Instructions
are
,
viz.
And
the
offences
of
Tumults
,
Rebellions
,
Conspiracie
,
Mutinie
,
and
Seditions
in
those
parts
,
which
be
dangerous
to
the
State
there
;
together
with
Murther
Manslaughter
,
Incest
,
Rapes
,
&
Adulteries
&
no
other
offences
shal
be
punished
by
death
.
Whereas
Sir
Thomas
Smith
hath
dispersed
amongst
this
Honourable
Assembly
,
diuers
Papers
mixed
with
many
falshoods
,
among
some
truthes
,
endeauouring
thereby
to
auoid
this
Honourable
Triall
,
(
as
he
hath
formerly
done
all
other
courses
of
Iustice
)
though
this
alone
doth
shew
his
guiltinesse
:
yet
the
proouing
of
the
5.
Article
,
wherein
his
abusing
of
the
King
,
being
the
very
Fountaine
of
Iustice
,
will
not
onely
appeare
,
but
it
will
also
make
the
falsehood
of
his
dispersed
papers
more
euident
,
and
tender
him
the
more
culpable
for
vsing
such
shifts
.