causes which induced them to enact the law, recounted the benefits accruing to his Majesty’s subjects from the conversion of human beings into real property,[163] and closed with a touching appeal for the retention of the act complained of, so that slaves “might not at the same time be real estate in some respects, personal in others, and bothe in others!” History does not record that the brusque old king was at all moved by this earnest appeal and convincing argument of the Virginia Assembly.

In 1699 the government buildings at James City were destroyed.  The General Assembly, in an attempt to devise means to build a new Capitol, passed an act on the 11th of April of the aforesaid year, fixing a “duty on servants and slaves imported"[164] into the colony.  Fifteen shillings was the impost tax levied upon every servant imported, “not born in England or Wales, and twenty shillings for every Negro or other slave” thus imported.  The revenue arising from this tax on servants and slaves was to go to the building of a new Capitol.  Every slave-vessel was inspected by a customs-officer.  The commanding officer of the vessel was required to furnish the names and number of the servants and slaves imported, the place of their birth, and pay the duty imposed upon each before they were permitted to be landed.  This act was to be in force for the space of “three years from the publication thereof, and no longer."[165] But, in the summer of 1701, it was continued until the 25th day of December, 1703.  The act was passed as a temporary measure to secure revenue with which to build the Capitol.[166] Evidently it was not intended to remain a part of the code of the colony.  In 1732 it was revived by an act, the preamble of which leads us to infer that the home government was not friendly to its passage.  In short, the act is preceded by a prayer for permission to pass it.  Whatever may have been the feeling in England in reference to levying imposts upon servants and slaves, it is certain the colonists were in hearty accord with the spirit and letter of the act.  It must be clear to every honest student of history, that there never was, up to this time, an attempt made to cure the growing evils of slavery.  When a tax was imposed upon slaves imported, the object in view was the replenishing of the coffers of the colonial government.  In 1734 another act was passed taxing imported slaves, because it had “been found very easy to the subjects of this colony, and no ways burthensome to the traders in slaves.”  The additional reason for continuing the law was, “that a competent revenue” might be raised “for preventing or lessening a poll-tax."[167] And in 1738, this law being “found, by experience, to be an easy expedient for raising a revenue towards the lessening a pooll-tax, always grievous to the people of this colony, and is in no way burthensom to the traders in slaves,” it was re-enacted.  In every instance, through all these years, the imposition