bidding them to make any at home; whereas the laws pretended to compenfate thefe difadvantages, were -both uncertain and remote in their effects; fo diftant that it might be many years before any benefit could arife from them, and might; in conclufion, produce no effect at all. This was a partiality in the legislature, fufficient to create a jealousy in the minds of the colonifts, that the parliament of Britain confidered them not as fellow fubjects, but inferior vaffals, not to be regarded in the fame manner as the tubjects of the mother country. A people that are rettained from gain-ing money by trading with others, and are not permitted to have any of their own, are in fuch a fituation as the conftitution of Eugland to ally difapproves. Unlefs the Americans had lost all sense of right and wrong, it was impoffible but they should have confidered these acts of the legislature as unjuft and oppreffive. It has been alledged, that the greatest part of the money, if not the whole of it, arifing from thefe duties, would return to the colonies, to pay the troops quartered there for their defence. This is a mere allegation; for if the money collected from duties in America had been intended merely for paying the troops quartered there, there was no occafion to fend it to the British exchequer to risk the danger of feas in fending it back again to America. This would have been a piece of mere wantonnefs, first to distress the colonies in collecting a revenue, to fhew the power of the British parliament, and then to order the money to be paid to the troops refiding among them. It would have been more eafy to have given orders to their affemblies to have paid them at first hand, without so much risk and unneceffary expence. This was fuch a trial of the affections of the colonies as was not eafy to be endured, and yet they bore it with great patience. Thefe proceedings in the parliament had ás bad an effect upon the mother country as the colo'nies: it hindered the mericans from bringing any cloathing from England, except what was abfolutely neceffary, and made them enter into affociations to encourage manufactures among themfelves. The more fevere the laws of the mother country towards the Americans were, the more were the colonists united, and the more they exerted all their vigour to bear their prefent burdens with fortitude. It was a thing not at all to be expected, that the colonies out of mere compliment to great Britain, fhould fubmit to perifh for want of the neceffaries of life, when they had a great abundance within themselves. Their fufferings already were of the fevereft fort; for, like the children of Jacob, in the land of bondage, they were required to make brick without ftraw; to carry on trade and manufactures, without either money or paper currency to promote their course. It was eafy to perceive the effects that this reftriction upon the American commerce would have upon both the trade and revenue of the mother country; in proportion to the quantity of goods the colonies manufactured themselves, or as-far as they restrained themselves to things merely neceffary, so much would the trade of Great Britain decreafe, and the duty upon goods exported to America be leffened. It has been computed that the colonies, befides the foreign goods which they purchased from our merchants, took annually of our produce and manufactures to the amount of three millions. A very great multitude of people were employed in manufacturing, in buying, felling, and tranfporting thefe goods: So that from the fowing of the feeds, till they were landed in. fome fome port in America, the people of Great Britain were conftantly employed, and in conculfion were paid by the colonies. When this trade was stopped, or when it did not go on in its proper courfe, it is natural to conceive that all the thousands who were employed in preparing thefe manufactures, muft have fome way or other been fupported at the expence of the community, as it was impoffible that in a fhort time they could find any new kind of employment to purfue. This was at one stroke ftriking off from bufinefs a multitude of ufeful members of fociety, and throwing them upon the public for prefent fupply, The government could not help feeling the effects of this impolitic proceeding by a decrease of revenue; for they both loft the duty payable upon the goods exported to America, and the import duties payable on goods we received from foreign countries, in return for what were fent them by the colonies; and however fmall all this may appear to fome, it could not but amount to more than any thing that could poffibly be raised by the unhappy restriction, It is fomewhat furprizing that the wifdom of both the miniftry and parliament should have at this time fo far forfaken them, as to prefer a law, fo abfurd in its own nature, and ruinous in its confequences; which every one by paying the fmalleft attention to the fubject, might have easily discerned to be a dangerous expedient, as well as an irrational project for raifing mo. ney. It appears to have been a time of political infatuation, and the miniftry were bent both upon their own ruin and that of the nation. The prefent reign has been the most unfortunate, for unhappy measures of government, under a good conftitution and a religious sovereign, of any fince the reign of Charles the firft. The miniftry, as if all the poffeffions of the fubjects in America America had been totally at their difpofal, proceeded a ftep ftill farther to make themfelves ridiculous. Before they had enjoyed the profits and fruits of this obnoxious bill, they proceeded to another fcheme, preg nant with folly, oppreffion, and defpotifm. After having laid new reftraints on the traffic of the colanies, ftopt their fources of procuring fpecie, aud rendered their paper money in a great measure ufeless, they proceeded to impofe a new tax, unknown and nuheard of on the other fide of the Atlantic. A bill was brought into parliament, and paffed both houses, for laying a duty upon ftamps ir all the American colonies. This law impofed no lefs han fifty-three different forts of ftamps and other duties upon the colonies and plantations in America, fome of them extremely exorbitant and heavy, and none of them favourable to the interefts of the colonies except one, which impofes ten pounds per fheer upon the licenses of attornies, folicitors, and counfellors: This would probably have been a check upon the progrefs of a profeffion, which, when much encouraged, is rather the bane than the benefit of fociety. But many other articles were highly oppreffive and burdenfome to the fubject. The ABSTRACT of STAMP DUTIES. (1) All declarations, pleas, replications, rejoinders, demurrers, &c. in courts of law to pay 3d. per fheet. (2) Special bail and appearances in the faid courts 2s. per theet. (3) Petitions, bills, anfwers, claims, pleas, replications, rejoinders, demurrers. &c. in the courts of chancery, is 6d. per fheet. (4 Copies of petitions, bills, &c. in the faid courts. 31. per heet. (5) Monitions, libels, anfwers, allegations, inventories, or renunciations, in courts exercifing ecclefiaftical jurifdiction, Is. per fheet. (6) Copies of wills, monitions, &c. in the faid courts, 6d. per sheet. (1) Donations, prefentations, collations, inftitutions, registers, entries, teftimonials, certificates of degrees, 21. per fheet. (8) Monitions, 'ibels, claims, aufwers, allegations, informations, letters of request executions, renunciations, inventories in the courts of admiralty, s. per fheet. (9) Copies of fuch, &c. 6d. per fheet. The tranfactions in the British parliament were not fo fecretly carried on but they reached America before they were ready to be put in execution. After this itamp bill was read in parliament ante firft time, before it was read a fecond time, a petition was offered to the Commons by Edward Montague, agent for the province of Virginia, praying to take their unhappy circunftances into confideration; and that their houfe of burgeffes might be continued in the rights and privileges they had so long enjoyed; and they might be heard by their council againtt a bill that might be intended to charge ftamp or any other duties on the colony of Virginia. A petition was alfo offered to be prefented by the governor and company of the EngJish colo y of Connecticut, in North America, praying that the colony might be indulged in the exercife of the power of laying all internal taxes on the faid co lony, fheet. (10) Appeals, writs of error and of dower, ad quod damnum, certiorari, ftatute merchant, ftatute ftaple, atteftations, certificates, exemplifications of records or proceedings in any courts, except appeals, &c. from proceedings before a single juftice, 10s. per fheet. (11) Writs of covenant or of entry, attachment, &c. in any of the faid courts, 5s. per fheet. (12) Judgements, decrees, fentences, dimiffions, records of nifi prius, or poftea in any of the courts, 4s. per fheet. (13) ffidavits, common bail for appearance, interrogatory depofitions, rules, orders, warrants of court, dedimus proteffatem, apias, fubpanas, fummonfes, compulfory citations, commiffions. recognifances, is per fheet. (14) Licences, appointments, admiflions of councellors, folicitors, &c. to practice in any court. ol. per sheet. (15) Bills of lading, cockets, clearances, 4d. per fheet. (16) Letters of mart, commiflions for private fhips of war, 20s. per fheet. [17] Grants, appointments, admiffions to public beneficial offices, &c, of 201 per annum value or upwards (army, navy, judges, and justices of the peace excepted) 10s. per fheet. [18] Grants of liberties, privileges, of franchises, under the feal of any of the colonies, or fign manual of any governor. &c. or any exemplifications thereof, 61. per fheet [19] Licences for retailing fpirituous liquors 20s, per fheet. [20] Licence, for retailing wine only 41. per fheet. [21] Licences for retailing wine, where a licence has been granted for retailing fpirituous liquors, 31. per heet. [22] Probates of wills, letters of adminiftration or guardianship, &c. on the continent, and the Bermuda and Bahama iflands, 55. per fheet. |