New England -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
The unfortunate results of the recent voyages in which Gorges had been
interested, so far from dampening his ardor, had made him more anxious
than ever to go on with his efforts. The governmental changes in the
charter for South Virginia, together, perhaps, with the enlargement of
its bounds, moved him to apply for a new charter for the northern
plantation.[146] A dispute in which he had become involved with the
southern company, regarding its rights to fish within the limits
assigned to the North Virginia patentees, which rights he denied, had
won for him the hostility of a part of the Virginia Company's
membership. As the new charter for which he had applied contained a
clause giving the New England Company a monopoly of the fishing along
their entire section of the coast, it was bitterly attacked by the
southerners, who had annually gone to the northern fishing-grounds for
an important part of their year's supplies. The dispute was taken into
Parliament, where Gorges defended himself with ability, and thence to
the King. The factional fight then in progress between Smythe and
Sandys, in the Virginia Company, led Smythe's party to support Gorges
against their opponents in their own company; and as Gorges had also
strengthened his cause by including among his associates many of the
influential nobles of the court, an order in council was finally issued
in his favor, on the 18th of June, 1621, for the delivery of the new
charter.[147]
Footnote 146:
Gorges, “Briefe Narration,” p. 64.
Footnote 147:
_Ibid._, pp. 64 _ff._; _Documents relating to the Colonial History of
State of New York_ (Albany, 1853), vol. III, p. 4; Thomas Pownall,
_The Administration of the British Colonies_ (London, 1777), vol. I,
p. 49.
Thus was originated the “Council established at Plymouth in the County
of Devon for the Planting, Ruling, and Governing of New England in
America,” which now became the proprietor of all the territory between
40° and 48° North Latitude, and extending from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, in utter disregard of the French claims in Nova Scotia and
Canada, and of the colonies planted there. The charter stated that there
were no subjects of any foreign power in possession of any part of the
territory, although Quebec had been settled for thirteen years, and
French fishermen and fur traders were constantly being met by the
English.[148] Upon the new company were bestowed rights of trading,
colonizing, and governing. The members were allowed to elect their own
officials in England, and to appoint those for ruling in the
settlements. The members of the Virginia Company numbered nearly a
thousand persons, who elected their council, and were responsible for
the administration of the colony; but under the Gorges charter, the
council was the whole company, limited to forty members, who were
self-perpetuating, and whose relation to the colonists was thus direct
and final.[149]
Footnote 148:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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