Old Virginia and her neighbours

280 OLD VIRGINIA AND HER NEIGHBOURS.tract.^ These laws were of course intended tostimulate immigration, and the effect of the firsttwo was soon plainly indicated in the indignantepithet, " Rogue's Harbour," bestowed by Virginiapeople upon the colony of Albemarle.^The desire of increasing the number of settlers,without regard to theirquality, induced the lordsproprietors to sanction these curiosities oflegislation.But troubles, not of their own creating,were at hand in this little forest community.In 1673 the Fundamental Constitutions werepromulgated by Governor Stephens, who soonafterward died. Under his temporary successor.Gcorgc Carteret, president of the coun-TroublestheNav^iga-^^^' *^^^ troublcs brokc out, and it hastionAct.been customary to ascribe them to theattempt to enforce the Fundamental Constitutionsupon an unwilling community. It does not appear,however, that the official promulgation ofthis frame of government was followed by anyserious attempts to enforce it.^ The real source ofthe disturbances was undoubtedly the NavigationAct, — that mischievous statute with which themother country was busily weaning from itself theaffections of its colonies all along the Americanseaboard. Sundry unfounded rumours increasedthe bitter feeling. The king's grant of Virginiato Arlington and Culpeper in 1673 was part ofthe news of the day. It was reported that the^ Williamson, op. cit. i. 121.2 Moore's History of North Carolina, Raleigh, 1880, i. 18.^ I am glad to find this opinion corroborated by Professor Bas-Bett in his able paper above cited, J. H. U. Studies, xii. 109.