Accordingly, July 30, 1619, the first legislative assembly that ever convened on the American continent met in the church at Jamestown.  It consisted of the governor, six councillors, and twenty burgesses, two from each of ten plantations.  The delegates from Brandon, Captain John Martin’s plantation, were not seated, because of a particular clause in his patent exempting it from colonial authority.  The assembly, after a prayer from Rev. Richard Buck, of Jamestown, sat six days and did a great deal of work.  Petitions were addressed to the company in England for permission to change “the savage name of Kecoughtan,” for workmen to erect a “university and college,” and for granting the girls and boys of all the old planters a share of land each, “because that in a new plantation it is not known whether man or woman be the more necessary.”  Laws were made against idleness, drunkenness, gaming, and other misdemeanors, but the death penalty was prescribed only in case of such “traitors to the colony” as sold fire-arms to the Indians.  To prevent extravagance in dress parish taxes were “cessed” according to apparel—­“if he be unmarried, according to his own apparel; if he be married, according to his own and his wife’s or either of their apparel.”  Statutes were also passed for encouraging agriculture and for settling church discipline according to the rules of the church of England.[8]

Another significant event during this memorable year was the introduction of negro slavery into Virginia.  A Dutch ship arrived at Jamestown in August, 1619, with some negroes, of whom twenty were sold to the planters.[9]

A third event was the arrival of a ship from England with ninety “young maidens” to be sold to the settlers for wives, at the cost of their transportation—­viz., one hundred and twenty pounds of tobacco (equivalent to $500 in present currency).[10] Cargoes of this interesting merchandise continued to arrive for many years.

It was fortunate that with the arrival of Yardley the supervision of Virginia affairs in England passed into hands most interested in colonial welfare.  Sir Thomas Smith had been treasurer or president of the company for twelve years; but as he was also president of four other companies some thought that he did not give the proper attention to Virginia matters.  For this reason, and because he was considered responsible for the selection of Argall, the leaders of his party determined to elect a new treasurer; and a private quarrel between Smith and the head of the court party, Lord Rich, helped matters to this end.  To gratify a temporary spleen against Smith, Lord Rich consented to vote for Sir Edwin Sandys, and April 28, 1619, he was accordingly elected treasurer with John Ferrar as his deputy.  Smith was greatly piqued, abandoned his old friends, and soon after began to act with Rich in opposition to Sandys and his group of supporters.[11]