Jamestown, whether introduced by land or by water. There were also included in the same category, all who used any subterfuge whatever for the purpose of enhancing the price of goods when offered for sale in the market or who prevented their transportation to market at all.[1] In 1633, the special articles in which it was thought advisable that there should be no forestallment by purchase from the importing merchant, were shoes, Irish stockings, and coarse woollen and coarse linen stuff designed to be converted into shirts and sheets for the use of servants.[2] The regulation prohibiting the acquisition of these articles for the purpose of reselling them, was held not to apply to persons who bought for the benefit of planters who resided in remote places; to such persons was granted the right to increase the amount of the purchase money by a margin of gain that would be sufficient to compensate for the risk and inconvenience attending the transportation of the goods; but they were to secure no merchandise except what had been specifically ordered by the planter.[3] In the course of the same year, it was provided by law that in buying such merchandise, tobacco should be rated at nine pence a pound, an advance of three pence over the price laid down three years previously.[4] In 1644, all the Acts for the suppression of engrossing were expressly repealed and the privileges of an absolute free trade in their business dealings with each other were allowed to all the people of the Colony.[5]
In the session of 1654-55, an Act was passed which established markets at certain points in Virginia;[6] every shipmaster was required to transport his cargo to some one of these markets under the penalty of being consid-
