There was a further principle announced by the people: that the Proprietors could send what “instructions” they pleased, but they certainly could never have intended that they should have the force of statute laws without the assent and approbation of the people, except in such matters as wholly belonged to their direction according to the charter. With so intelligent and progressive a people to control, the almost impotent “absolute lords” on the other side of the Atlantic might well have written to Ludwell as they did to Morton, “Are you to govern the people, or the people you?” Yet a further signal triumph for the people was at hand. The Proprietors had already seen fit to modify their rule that the assembly of the people should neither debate nor vote on any matter except what the Grand Council should propose to them; but their modification at that time amounted to very little, namely, that if a necessary law was delayed by the council, and “the majority of the grand juries of the counties” presented the matter for legislation, then only might “any of the chambers” take cognizance of it. It was now the good fortune of Governor Smith,[753] successor to Ludwell, to announce that “the Proprietors have consented that the proposing power for the making of laws, which was heretofore lodged in the governor and council only, is now given to you as well as the present council.”[754] Henceforth the assembly claimed the privileges and usages of the House of Commons in England. [Illustration: COOPER AND ASHLEY RIVERS. [This is a side-map in a large folding one called _A new map of Carolina, by Philip Lea, at the Atlas and Hercules, in Cheapside, London_. Courtenay considers it to be of a date before 1700. There is a fac-simile of the whole in _Charleston Year Book_, 1883. For the associations and landmarks of these rivers see C. F. Woolson’s “Up the Ashley and Cooper,” in _Harper’s Monthly_, Dec., 1875; and P. D. Hay’s “Relics of Old South Carolina,” in _Appleton’s Journal_, xix. 498. In the _Charleston Year Book_ (1883) there is a large map, showing the town and the early farms on the west bank of the Ashley; the present site of the city up to near the Clements’ Ferry road, with all lines of fortifications and historic points. Cf. W. G. Simms’ “Description of Charleston,” in _Harper’s Monthly_, June, 1857. Moll’s map of South Carolina (1730) is given in fac-simile in _Cassell’s United States_, i. 439.—ED.]]