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M,DCC,LXXIV, [Price It,] /^- » ' CT." t '■ ^^■■■sfm-'B-i' V3, - ' ♦V. i^ K *. , .> ficj'Jfil # « V* ?.,s^ il P: •,kK V * '^1 ■Hi *st.ss J :f?> 'J I.'....'' iV ■ r-'A-J: '■'■Y ' »;•» ^^"^ H E conteft between Great-Brl- Jl tain and her Colonies, being now arrived at a height that calls for* fome fpeedy decifion, and this contefl: having been reprefented as only a dif- pute between the adminiftration and the colonies* the following fhort itate of the cafe is fubmitted to the confide- ration of every candid Englifhman; from which it will appear, how far the merchants and traders in this country are interefted in it, arid on which fide they ought to wifli the decifion to fall. B It V i )\ ( o ' It is admitted on the part of Great- Britain, that the Colonies are part of the dominions of the Crown, that the inhabitants are the fubje<5ls of the Crown, and intitled, by birth, to all the rights and franchifes of Englifh- men, born within the ifland of Great Britain; and in confequence every native of the Colonies is eligible to and many of them adlually enjoy of- fices and employments in the flate, and feats in parliament, and may be the King's chisf minifters in Great Britain. In all foreign countries, they have the fame prote<5lion with the King's Englifli fubjedls, and enjoy the fame advantages of treaties and al- liances. Their perfons and properties /; ■ 't^ :, - ■ are r (/ L. r • 1 '> • ( 3 ) are equally protected by the laws of England, and they may, equally with the natives of Great Britain, become proprietors, by purchafe or inheri- tance, of any lands within the ifland of Great Britain. M' ji M ■Mt The pofTeffions of the Crown in Amef- rica are immenfely extenfive, and the iiland of Great Britain, compared with them, appears very inconfiderable. No art or power can enlarge Great Bri* tain, but there is abundant fcope in America for making additions, flill more extenfive, to what the Crown al- ready poflefles there. a -?^ This mod important difference in the circumftanccs of the two territories B 2 . requires 1 requires a different plan of policy to be adopt;^d in refpct^ to the culture and in^provement of each. But ftill the'perfonal rights of the inhabitants ought to continue the fame ; And thq profperity and happinefs of the fub- je(^s in the Colonies ought to be equally attended to, and promoted by government, as that of the <\ib]ed:s in England, for they are equally the king's fubjefts^ gj^d EpgUlhmeu,^ tt: ,.i!i >-i .•.*.■■■." -S'. rt'f^«^. .:•■;• :. «..--■• '.*,'■>. -»'.''• The lands in America have beea granted by the Crown on very cheap terms to the occupiers j and where a country is fo very e^^tenfive, and thp inhabitants few, the lands muft con- tinue cheap for many ages, in com- . ...; pariibix ' u v* k: 'ti .' -<».« ji' J >*-' 1 ' ..( 5) parifon of the price of lands in Great Britaia.^ — —Should then tlic occupier of the Ancierican lands cultivate the fyme prociufts as are cultivated in Great Britain, and have equal liberiy jft^^arry them to the fame market, they mull prcfcntly deftroy the coi^* merce and culture of Great Britain, by felling at a left price.-- Now nothing could argUe greater folly and 'wickednefs, in any government, than the fuffering the people of the ancient dominions to be deftroyed, for the fake of raifing a new Empire, and new fubjedls, in another part of the world.-— Wifdom, jullice and policy, therefore, required th^t the means to be. ufed, to forward the profperity of A^'KJ i ( 6 ) of the new dominions, fhould be fuch as not to injure the old ; and that, where all parts cannot have: the fame advantages, compenfation fhould be made, for what is with-held in one way , by the grant of fuperior advan- tages in another, i ..i , >f^, The right to the foil of America is allowed to have been in the Crown of England, antecedent to the fettlement of any Englifh fubjedts there ; for the firA, and all future adventurers car- ried with them grants from the Crown, of the lands on which they fettled ; and all the lands in the Colonies are at this day held by their occupiers, under titles derived from the Crown. ; The Crown had, therefore, a right to prefcribe & h e { ' ( 7 ) prefcribe conditions to thofe who obtained thofe grants ; and the gran- tees were bound, in law and equity, to a perforaance of thofe conditions. Moreover, the adventurers in this new country ilood in need of the affiftance and fuccour of their feUow fubjeclrs in England. They were unable to fubfift, much lefs to proted them- felves. The bounty, the confidence, and humanity of individuals in Eng- land were freely exercifed towards them ; and the power of the Hate, raifed and maintained at the fole ex- pence of the people of England, was fully exerted in their behalf; The people of England have, therefore, a right to reap advantage from the fuc- ceis of the adventurers. - ,*^ ■*f^SI^^ . ^ Under #'' i V. I* ■ I I/! iii ;. , _ rf ' Under thefe two titles, of a right to the foil in the Crown, artd a right to compenfation in the people Of Eng- land, lee us view the condu<5t of the Lcgiilature (which comprehends hoth) towards the Colonics. In refpedt to the pcrfons of the natives^ of the Go^ lonies, lio diftindion or difference has ever been made. Thefe is not afingle Aft of Parliament, frorti the firf! efta- blifhment of the Colonies to this d^y, which makes a diftindtion between a , , . • ■" man born in England and a man born in America. The original equality has been inviolably adhered to. 'i'he fame law and rigihts are for a nativ of America in £ngland> a$ for an Eng« lifhman. And an Engliihmasn is, in America, (■ '( 9 ) Aiherica, fubje(5t to the fatne iaW| and claims no other rights than a na^ tive therCi "^ . ,. The mod violent partizan of the Colonies can here then have no ground of complaint 5 for neither the Crown or the people of England have here made any claim, or fought compenfa- tion. '(l-*l <**! •.-' S .r-Af lands of Ami^rica, and tlieir prodii(51:s, have alone been the objeAs "i&pon which they have made any de- mands, and whether they have aflert- ed their claims in an arbitrary, cruel, T * and unjuft manner, ab the Colonies lay they have, we ihall foon fee, '^^ ♦''•'M ; _• ... :. i^V*- ^ C -The fc»» tW-4 A •*.'»^ tJV \ ! *. The peopl? of England and the American adventurers being fo dif- ferently circumftanced, it required no great fagacity to difcover that, as there were many commodities which Ame- rica could fupply on better terms than they could be raifed in England, fo muftit be much more for the Colonies* advantage to take others from Eng- land, than attempt to make them themfelves. The American lands were cheap, covered with woods, and a- bounded with native commpdities^ The fvR. attention of the fettlers was neceflarily engaged in cutting down the timber, and clearing the ground for culture j for before they had fup- plied themfelves with provifions, and • >' . had ;,j ..s ^kV^' ' » U" ) "y% ■ ■.J had hands to fpare from agriculturie, . it was impoffible they could fet about manufa<5turing. England, therefore, undertook to fupply them with ma* nufaftures, and either purchafed her* felf, or found markets for the timber the Colonifts cut down upon their lands, or the fifh they caught upon their coafls. It was foon difcovered that the tobacco plant was a native of, and flonrilhed in Virginia. It had been alfo planted in England, and was found to delight in the foil. The ^ Legifiature, however, wifely and equi-* tably confidering that England had variety of produds, and Virginia had no other to buy her neceflaries with, palled an a^dt prohibiting the people of f C 2 England ^i 1 \ ill! 1 I Mil ' ■..■.■.-; . -■:,- ' ' ' ' I i ■■ * England from planting tobacco, and thereby giving the mo /^opoly of that plant to the Colonies. As the inhabit tants increafed, and the lands became "more cultivated, further and new ad- vantages were thrown in the way of the American Colonies. AU foreign ^markets, as^ well as Great Britain^ ^were open for their timber and pro- viiions, and the Britifli Weft India Iflands were prohibited from purchaf^, ing thofe comniodities from any other than themr And fince England has found itfelf in danger of wanting a fuppiy of timber, and it has been judged neceflary to confine the export from America to Great Britain and Ireland, full and ample indemnity ^ '--•-^- ■---;■•-■:,* --f^ -■.-:,.■^^■'^■^■■' ha8 -- -If lias been given to the Colonies for the lofs of a choice of markets in Europe, by very large bounties paid out of the revenue, of Great Britain, upon thq importation of American timber. And as a fuj;t;h^ encouragement andreward to them for clearing their lands, boun- ties are given upon the tar and pitch, which are made from their decayed and ufelefs trees ; and the very ailies , o|,t^jey; lops and brftfifhes, are mads of value by the late bounty on Ameri- can pot-aflies. The foil and climate of the; Northern Colonies having been , found .well adapted to the culture of I flax and hemp, bounties equal to half the firft coft of thofe commodities have been granted by Parliament, payable H: out 4 ' 1 1 > i' It I I i 1 ( 14 ) •>' out of the Britifli revenue, upon their importation into Great Britain. The growth of rice in the Southern Colo- nies has been greatly encouraged, by prohibiting the importation of that grain into the Britifli dominions from other parts, and allowing it to be tran- fported from the Colonies to the fo- reign territories in America, and even to the fouthem parts of Europe. In- digo has been nurtured in thofe Colo* nies by great parliamentary bounties, which have been long paid upon the importation.into Great Britain ; and of late are allowed to remain, even when it is carried out again to foreign mar- kets. Silk and wine have alfo been objects of parliamentary munificence; 2 and !!*•■ ^'' 7/' W (15 ) and will one day probabl/ become confiderable Americiin produdls under that encouragement. . i:yj 'd'J. In which of thefe inftances, it may be demanded, has theLegiflaturefhewn itfelf partial to the people of England and unjuft to the Colonies ? or wherein have the Colonies been injured ? We hear much of the reftraints under which the trade of the Colonies is laid by Aftsof Parliament, for the ad* vantage of Great Britain, but the re- ftraints under which the people of Great Britain are laid by Afts of Par-t liament for the advantage of the Colo^ nies, are carefully kept out of fight; axxd yet upon a comparifon, the one ..., ^.,...„ will .1-." ■ ■■%". » ^ . / !fi h'i ;'• f.l 1 1.; >■> •/ will be found full as grievous as the other. For, is it a greater hardfhip on the Colonies, to be confined in fome inflances to tht .narkets of Great Bri- tain for the falc of their commodities, than it is on the people of Great BrU tain to be obliged to buy thofe com- modities from them only ? If the Ifland Colonies arc obliged to give the people of Great Britain the pre-emp- tion of their fugar and coffee, is it not a greater hardfhip on the people of Great Britain to be reflrained from purchafing fugar arid coffee from other countries, where they could get thofe commodities much cheaper than the Colonies make them pay for them ? Couldnot our manufa(5turer&haireindi- ■•*vPI^ / '.rfr go \ \ i'.'i •( vi7 ) go much better and cheaper from France and Spain than from Carolina ? and yet is there not a duty impofed by Afts of Parliament on French and Spanifh in- digo, that it may come to our manufac- turers at a dearer rate than Carolina in^ digo, tho' a bounty is alfo given out of the money of the people of England to the Carolina Planter, to enable him to fell his indigo upon a par with the French and Spanifh ? But the inftance which has already been taken notice of, the Aft . which prohibits the culture of ■■"■ ^■'i ;■ »-^-. ■ ■ the tobacco plant in Great Britain or Ireland, is ftill more in point, and a more ftriking proof of the juftice and impartiality of the fupreme Legifla-j ture ', for what reftraints, let me aflc^ are M'' i. I ( i8 ) are the Colonies laid under, which bear fo firong marks of hardfliip, as the prohibiting the farmers iii Great Britain and Ireland from raifihg, upon their own lands, a produA which is be- come almoft a neceflary of life to them and their families ? And this moft cxtra- iordinaiy reftraint is laid upotl them, for the avowed and fole purpofe of giving Virginia and Maryland a monolopy of that commodity, and obliging the people of Great Britain and Ireland to buy all the tobacco they confume from them, at the prices they think fit to fell it for. The annals of no country that ever planted Colonies/ can produce fuch an inftance as this of regard and kindnefs to, their Colo- ' . nies, rf:' ( 19 ) nies, and of reftraint upon the inhabi- tants of the Mother Country for their advantage. Nor is there any reftraint laid upon the inhabitants of the Colo- nies in return, which carries with it fo great 2^ppea):.ai)ce of hardfhip, although the people of Great Britain and Ire- , land h^ve, from their regard and aifedlioji to the Celopies, fubmitted to it without a murmur for near a centwy, ., j^p;i^;yii:{^^ , • ._ ^,mm.: It is true the Legiflat\ire, in this as well as in other inftances, has had a view to divert the Colonifts from nianufadtur- ing ; but has not that objedt been purfued by means the moft generous ^.^d juft I Ought the Colonifts to com- T>9 plain •> • I plain that they sire diverted from work- ing up their flax or hemp, by getting a better price for it rough, than they could hope to obtain by manufaftur- ing it ? Or is it blamable in the Lc* giflature to excite them to the culture of commodities which yield a better profit from their cheap lands, than they could have by employing their labour in manufafturing ? Bnt why do they not manufacture \ They are not hindered from making any commodity they might think fit for their own ufe, or erecting any machine for the pur- pofe, except mills for flitting iron. The only reafon is, that they find it more their intereft to cultivate their lands, and attend the fifliery, than to manu- fadure, \ I I '1 It: ,7 I , ( " ) , fatHiure. Their intereft it is alone which reftrains them, and fuch is the wifdom, the equity, the bounty of that government, they are fo impatient of, as to employ no other means to divert them from manufacSlures, than ' by giving them greater profits for their labour in other things. This is a point which cannot be too much inculcated, ' for it ought to be univerfally known and confidered, efpecially by the trad^ ing part of this kingdom. I there- fore repeat it, that the only means '.employed by the Legiflature, for di- verting the Colonies from manufaftur- ing, is the giving them better prices "for their labour in other things : and '^he Colonics well know this to be the cafe, <•' I > J k\\i i ■ cafe, and they conduft themfelves ac- cording to that knowledge J for in every inftancc where they think they can employ their labour pfpfe^ibly in manu^aftures* they do it, Thi$tbepeo* pie of £,ngUnd do not know, but they PVigbt to be mad^ acqijaiji^ed with it. Tbey imagine the inhabitaw intb^ Colonies are prohibited from making jtny thing for tltemfelves, much more from trading in their own maniifac> tures: whereas the fa(3: is, tb^y are prohibited from making no one thing ' for their own ufe, or from exporting anyone of their own manufa<^ures j €2Cept hats, wool, and wooll^a good?. And they do make many things, and export feveral maaufaftutee, to the 4 exclufion ii ^ ^% '.-I ( y ) ' t ^xclufion of Engliih mknufaAiiifeiil of tl^e fame kinds. The New England people import from the foreign and the Britifh iilands, very large quanti* ties of cdtton^ which they fpin and workup with linen yam into a fluff, like that made in Manchefler, with Which they clothe thcmfelves and their neighbours. Hats are manufactured in Carolina, Pennfylvania, and in other Colonies. Soap and candles, and all kinds of wood-work, are made in the Northern Ciolonies, and exported to the Southern. Coaches, chariots, chaifesi and chairs, are alfo made in the Nor- thern Colonies, and fent dov/n to the Southern. Coach-harnefs, and many Other kinds of leather manufadures. •J-Mr*!^*-- ^ are ■ isr; t << ( 24 ) f re likewife made in the Nothern Co- lonies, and fent down to the Southern ^ and large quantities of ihpes have lately been exported from thence to the Weft India iflands. Linens are made to a great amount in Pennfylva- nia ; and cordage and other hemp ma- |iufa6lures are carried on in many places with great faccefs : and foun- dery ware, axes, and other iron tools and TTtenfils, are alfo become articles of commerce, with which the Sou-f them Colonies are fupplied from the Northern. Thus while the Legiflature is paying the money of the people of England in bounties to one part of the American fubjedls, another is em- ployed in rivalling the people of Eng- land -^T*-«f»._j*-.4* - ^yk,£i..ia->-H= .--3^ ■•' / land in feveral of their moft valuable inanufaftures. -*. ^r 'i*^Vf*' Thus far, at leaft, the condudl of Great Britain towards the Colonies isfnnot juflly be taxed with oppreflion, ni^thc comparative fituation of Ame-, riCst deemed unequal and difadvanta- geous: but we are told by the advo- cates for American claims, that the profit of all their labours centers here, and that the inhabitants of America are condemned to work for the people of England 5 let us therefore examine the truth of thefe two propafitions. — If it be true that the inhabitants of America are condemned to work for the people of England, is it n<5t equal- E ly rr ■ j S. ' ( \ ly true that the people of England are condemned to work for the people in the Colonies ? nay, not for their fel- low- fubjec^ls there oilly, but for the Haves of their fellow fubjecfls ! If a rplanter in Virginia raifes tobacco for the Englifli merchant, does not the 'Ei*iglifti naanufadlurer make him clothing for himfelf and his negroes in return; and wherein can the one be faid to work for the other's advan- tage> more than the other does for his? Do any of the Colonies fend their products to England for nothing, or do they take any thing from Eng- land in payment which they do not want? Does England fix prices upon thei»;^rodu(5ls, and fay, You fliall fell .;r them . i ^7 ) , them to us for fo much; or does Ihe infifl upon their buying her commo- dities at higher prices than her own natives pay, or than fhe fells them for to other countries? Nothing of all V this is pretended to be the cafe ; then pray in what lenfe is it that the peo- ple of the Colonies can be faid to work -for the people of England, other than that in which the people of England wprk for them ? The threfher may be faid, it is true, to work for the miller ; but does not the miller work alfo for the threfher? But the profit of all the labour of the Colonies centers in England. If this be true, the confe- quence will plainly fhew it; for no ftate or fociety of men was ever known E 2 to \ \ ( a8 ) ' ' to thrive by unprofitable labour. Whence then arifes the prefent wealth and gre^tnefs of America, (of which we hear fo much upon other occa- ' Cons) if England has reaped the fruits of all the labour of the Colonies ? The fettlers, we all know, did not carry great riches with them, and whence could they have acquired them, but from the profits of their labour ? But the trade of England, fay they, has been greatly augmented by the Colo- nies. It is by no means clear that the fame increafe would not have hap- ; pened if the Colonies had never exift- ed ; for England had many avenues open for her commercial induftry. But, without purfuing that confider- ( ation, : <¥», i^SS«l - ( 39 ) . ■ ation, from what fource did the Colo-* nies derive the ability, and the means of trading with England ? Who paid for the axe and the faw with which they cut down the tree, and made u into boards, to cover their huts at their firft landing ? or through whofe credit have they fince buiit towns, improved their farmS) and ereded for them- felves ftately houfes ? Is it not to the Englifh merchants they are indebted for all theit opulence ? We fee a re- cent iiiftancfe of this in the Ceded Iflands ; whilft the Englifh merchants gave them credit, the adventurers .were making large ftrides to wealth and grandeur. The Value of lands «was every day rifing, plantations were m^H^- ■ *- • • fiettling. \ N ( 30 ) fettling, and towns fpringing out of the woods ; but the inftant that credit was with-held, the bubble burft, and the airy fcene vaniflied like a dream 5 diftrefs and calamity fucceeded to opulence and parade, and the higheft eftimated lands can no longer find purchafers at any price: now, had the Englifh merchants continued to give credit, and make advances for thefe adventurers, there is no doubt their projects would at length have fucceeded; they would have raifed products, and, by induflry and good . management, acquired fortunes. What then fliould we have thought of them, or what ought we to have thought of them, if, when they came to make remittances I ■ ( 31 ) remittances to the Englifh merchants, they fhould have complained, that it was hard they fhould be condemned to work for the people of England ; that England reaped all the fruits of their labour and induftry, and that it was the higheft cruelty and injuftice to oblige them to fend their produ<5ts to England, that the Englifh mer- chants might gain a commiffion on jthe fale of them? ■ llr^>f J ' i! MA The Northern Colonies, it is true, have not had fuch ample credit with the Englifh merchants as the Iflands, but the circumftances under which the, planters in both made their fettle- ments, are not fo diffimilar as to ren- :'^i der ♦ I «*, . • ( 3a ) dcr what has been dated refpcdling ih!^ OPCi inf^pplicable to the other. The great amount of their debt to the Epgllfli merchants, is a full proof that it was upon the flock of the people of England they have hitherto fubiifled. The merchants in the Colonies^ no more than the planters in the con- tifient, are wealthy mch. They buy their goods in England, upon nine months credit at lead; the planter is fupplicd by them, through- out the year, upon the credit of his crop at the end of it. The plan^ ter has his houfe to build, or im^ provements to make, or new land to clear and take in, all which requires , ready •• y , '\ *«' ready money, and therefore, when his firft crop comes, he mud fell it for cafh, and cannot pay the merchant any thing towards the reduction of his debt that year. The acquifition of the next year's crop requires a frefli advance; hence the planter becomes indebted to the merchant for two years' fupply before he makes him any pay- ment; and as it very feldom happens that at the end of the fecond year he pays the expence of one, he goes on increafing his debt, but at the fame . time increafing his eftate in a much greater proportion ; and all this time the Englifh merchant, who fupports the whole, is without any returns. Thus * > . (34 ) Thus it is that England reaps the advantage of all the toil and labour of the Colonies. She pays for the pur- chafe of the land, for the labour cpf\ployed in clearing it, for the main- taining the flock neceflary for its cuK tivation; her return is a commiflion upon the fale of the produce, with a moderate intereft, not very well paid, upon the capital advanced, while all the benefit of the incrcafed value be- longs folely to the Americans. The truth of what has been advan- ced will be ftill more evident from a comparifon of the llite of the Colonies of other nations with our own. We have feen the flow progrefs the French made » ,- , . • :■ f:- ■"».<.■■ 35 ) made in Canada the many years they had it ; and the large ftridea it is mak- ing to weahh and importance fince it became a Britifli colony. Grenada too has flourifhed in a ftill greater degree,^ and the fame caufe has wrought the happy change in the circumftances of both, which is no other than the fu- perior credit given to the planters by the Englifh merchants, to what they' had from the FrevK h merchants. Now if we inquire into the caufie of thisS unbounded confidence and credit given by the Englifh merchants to the Colo- nies, from which the Colonies have reaped fo great advantage, it will come out to be the fecurity which they have for their property by the operation \ < t 3<5 ) ■ . cf the laws of England in the Colonics ; they give no fuch credit to the fub- jeifls of other ftates, either in Europe or America; and yet there are coun- tries in which they might lay out their money to greater profit than in the Britiflx Colonies ; but in foreign coun- tries they cannot be certain of a legal fecurity foi> their property, or a fair and feiFeftual means of recovering it ; whereas in the Britifli Colonies they know the laws of England follow their property, and fecurcs it for them in the deepeft rccefles of- the woods. Take from them that fecurity, and there is an end of their confidence, and confequently an effecSlual check to the profperity of the Colonies. And ^ indeed >) .('". '. */^ .1 indeed good reafon it Inould be fa, for there is no want of evidence tq fliew how willing the Colonies are to avail themfelves of Acts of their own Aflemblies to injure their Britiflx cre- ditors ; witnefs the attempts in Jamai- ca and Virginia to make the lands and negroes freehold, and not liable to the payment of book viebts ; fo that a Planter might buy lands and negroes on Englifti credit, and leave them to his children, without paying a (hilling to the Englifli merchant, with whofe money he bought them ; and witnefs alfo a late Ad of the AfTembly of Gre- nada, poflponing the payments due to their Englifh creditors for eighteen months. Thefeand fuch likepraAiccs 5 \ ^ ( 38 ) in the Colonies, gave occafion to the aft of Parliament the 5th of George the Second, for fubjedting lands and negroes in the Colonies to the pay- *? ment of Englifli book debts, which may truly be called the Palladium of Colony credit, and the Englifh mer- chants' grand fecr rity ; and yet this : Aft: of Parliament is one of thofe^ which are now complained of l^y the Colobies, and the Britifh merchants are , modeftly defired to apply to Parliament ^ r for its repeal, and thus ruin their trade and fortunes with their own^ hands*. But indeed a repeal of this or * any. * The following petition of feveral mer- chants of London to the King in the year 1732, and the report of the Lords of Trade thereupon, . .. ,:f ■■-:■ ' ■-■-■■r-y- ■■^;-'': will *:«■>■ .'■/• , ( 39 ) any other Aft, would not be nece/Tary to deftroy their fecurity, if the Colonies ■%i'* '*->■':: attain will fhew the neceffity of the interference of Parhament in the Britifh merchants' behalf, and the great ground there was for paffing the Aft of that year, for the merchants' fecurity, which the Colonies now want to fet afide. (C Sheweth, « That the merchants trading to the faid Colo- flies and Plantations have great fums of money due to them from the inhabitants, and, as the laws now ftand in fome of the Colonies and Plantations, your Majefty's fubjeds refiding in Great Britain are left without any remedy for the recovery of their juft debts, or have fuch remedy only as is very partial and precarious ; Whereby they are like to be confiderablc fuffer- ers in their property, and ^vt greatly difcouraged tn their trade tc . "Imerica : ,, « That in fevcral of the faid Colonies and Plan- tations greater and higher duties and impofitions t i.,,ty- .««? *■■• 1.. i ^ attain their avowed and main obje^.:; ■/--■ ■:^".:.:v.v'- ', -- Jamaica, ■f# \- ' m ment ; for if it be once admitted, that Parliament has no authority to make laws to bind the Colonies, all its Adls inflanily become wafte-paper, and the Jamaica, to exempt their boufes^ lands and tene^ mentSy and in fame places, tbeirnegroes alfo, from being extended for debt *, but we conceive it to be highly reafonable, that all lands, tenements, hereditaments, and negroes, throughout the fe- veral Colonies and Plantations, Ihould be made liable to the payment of juft debts and de- mands. *' Thefe two (alluding to another matter men- tioned by their Lordlhips alfo) laft mentioned gKievance3 have been more than once recom- mended to the Governors of Virginia and Ja- maica for rcdrefs. But the affemblies of thofe Colonies could never be induced to diveft tbemf elves \ cf thefe privileges by any a£f of their own ; and therefore, in our humble opinion, thofe points may be very proper objeds for a Parliament's confidcration in Great Britain, as they are of importance to your Majelly's fubjeds trading to America." merchants ', . * ■■• '.'■'< - ^^^ ^^ r •~\:\'- 1 ■ o*^^^ *. ; - , ■ .. G , yf., ■. . N . .-■"- ■. " '■■' .:' ^ / . A , ■^, ".■.:.... '*'•'■ t « • > ( 4' y mercliants can hi) Tbn^er apply to f^af^ liament to give them redrefs againft any unjuft proceedings of an Anieri*" can Aflembly. Whoever, therefore, go^s about to overthrow the authority of A(5ts of Parliament in the Colonies, ought to be confidcred as the afTaffins of the Britifh merchants' fec-ity, and, by deftroying their confides :ie in the Colonies, force them to with-hold their credit, and thereby do the greateft in* jury to the Colonies themfelvee* The right of the Parliament to im- pofe taxes, or the expediency of exer- cifing it over the Colonies, is now nd longer the fubjedl of difpute. All the late declarations of the Colonies deny,! in exprefs terms, the authority of the . . Legif. ^ ^^ ( 43 ) l^egiilature to bind them in any cafe whatfoever. This is the avowed pur- pofe of their oppofitiQQ to the execu^. tio>a Qf A - % f ■1. ( 4J ) from all countries, and lay out their money wherever they found they could buy cheapeft. This is all very natu-*' ral, and no one can blame the Colonies for fecL iUg what is fo evidently for their own intereft; but that they ihould expedt the people of England, the trading part efpecially, to counte- nance them in their purfuits of a plan fo manifeftly ruinous to them, is in- deed fuch a proof of their contempt for our underftandings as no people ever, gave before. They plainly tell the Britilh merchants, " Gentlemen, we , *' have now made fortunes out of your ♦* capital, and we find that the people " in England pay fuch heavy taxes ** for the payment of the intereft of ^ i: ^* S **debt, 4\ V, C 46 ) • ♦•debt, which they con traded in our *< defence; and for the maintenance ♦« of a military force, of which we cn- <* joy tljte protedtioin ; that fome of their ♦^ maixufaAurea CQfn^ higher charge4 ^- tOKSythaifi we can g«t the like for fron^ ** Holland or France: we alfofiad, that ** fropa the fame caufe they <::annot af- " fcMfd to give 2|3 high prices foy fome '< of our commodities, as we can fell *• them for in other countries. Now *• there arc certain Acjts of Parliament, " which oblige us to come to you fo^ ** what we want ; and to carry to you ** many of pur commodities in pay- ** mem, we defire therefore that you *ijiyiU affift us in our ei:ide^vouJS to ** fet afide the authority of thefe laws, ( • «r:' »-« ». -i.. " that we may trade where yJvc will ; «* and come no more to you but when ** we cannot do fo well clfewhete* *» There is another thing too which we ** want you join to us iii ; we are pre- " vented by an Aft of Parliament from " entailing our eftates to the prejudice *^ of our Englifli creditors; we now ** owe them about four millions, and «* if this Adl wa^ out of our way, we ^ cdxAi make all our families rich at' " oilce, by pUrchafihg lands, and build- •* ing houfes, with this money, and ** fettling them upon our children, in- *^ Head of paying out Englifh credi- ** tors ; but as we are afraid the Par- " liament might perceive our drift, in ** applying for repeals of thefc laws, '4'.- ¥t o <» or C 4» ) " or if they even repealed them n9Wt " they might hereafter re-enad them, •• or others of a like nature, which ** would defeat our purpofe of rifing •* upon the ruins of England ; we. ** have tak^^xi up a refolution of get- " ting rid of all thefe a<5ls at once, and «* at the fame time making ourfeivcs, •• fecure againft all future afts that ** might be made to our prejudice, or. •« for your benefit. This refolutioijiisno *« other than to deny the authority of ** the Legiflature to make any Atfls. i " whatever to bind us. In this our *• grand purpofe, we hope you will do. ** all you can by petitioning, inflru(ft- *' ing, and remonllrating in our be- *'half; for if you do not join us ia _; . " de^roying ■ A- ( ( 49 ) <» deftroying yomfclvefl, we tell you «< once for all, that we will neither buy ^* goods of you, nor pay you for thofc V we have already bought, for we are " determined to carry our point by ** oni? means or another/* '''I appeal to the underftandings of xnj countrymen whether this is ai^ exaggerated reprefentation of the Co- lony claims, as fet forrh and ftated in their feveral pamphlets, and the Rpfo- lutions of their public Aflemblies. And I think I need not ufe any further arguments to convince the merchants and manufacturers of Great Britain, how fatal to their interefts the fupcefs of the Colonies in their defigns muft be. The continuance of their trade n \A ififm ^nmm j^m^mtmifmi'^^ '"UPi inJlW iji." , ( 50 ) to the Coldnies, clearly and entircjly depends upon the laws of England having authority there. It i^ their operation which binds the Cdmnjierce of th^ Colonies to this country. It is their Operation "#hich gives fecurity td the property of the trader fent thither. Give up the authority of Parliament and there is an end to your trade, and a total lofs of your property. But if that authority is fupported and main- tained, the trade of the Colonies muft remain to Great Britain^ and the pro- perty you iwtrufl them with will re* znain fecure, prot^dted by aAs of JParliament made in your behalf. ; ■'r* 1. T, H B, E N D. ■*.ru '01 I