the government of the colonies hath been | tion, by a permanent revenue, which they established. That establishment hath hope may be without limitation of time, as from the beginning given to them the same it is to remain as long as the succession of check and controul upon the servants of the crown shall remain in his Majesty's the public, by their legislatures having the royal House. His Majesty's colony of granting and disposal of the provision for Virginia hath likewise granted to his Mathe support of government, as parliament jesty, and his heirs for ever, certain duties hath here-and as the subject in both of impost and tonnage, for this end, and cases hath been always hitherto esteemed in the very manner directed and required to have the same rights and privileges, the by the like royal instruction. plan of political liberty hath been always the same in both cases, although the scale is less; but this measure brought forward by this law, hath a tendency to revoke and change the whole of that system; and as it is unnecessary it is unjust, and a grievance in every degree. Second, It is unjust as demanding such a revenue from all the colonies indiscriminately, when several provinces have already made ample and adequate provision for this very purpose, conformable to the royal instructions, by acts which have received the royal confirmation. The instruction which I believe hath been constantly given to every governor of every province, says, "That the governor must require the legislature to make provision, by a permanent law, without limitation of time, for the support of civil government in that province, of the administration of justice, for making and repairing fortifications, and other defence for the protection of his Majesty's deminions." Mark, first, that every purport of this Revenue Act, of the seventh of his present Majesty, is contained in this instruction; and permit me, Sir, to lay before the House what provision the revenue law of Barbadoes has done in this very pointwhat Jamaica has done--what the colony of Virginia has done, in exact conformity to this instruction. Although I will not trouble the House with reading these laws, I must beg leave to refer to them. Barbadoes, by an impost of 4 per cent. upon all their produce exported, and by other duties upon certain articles imported, hath granted to his Majesty, and his heirs for ever, a provision for the support of civil government, and the protection of the island, by a revenue greatly beyond what those services have hitherto required, and shamefully beyond what the government of this country hath applied to those purposes. The island of Jamaica, by certain duties granted to his Majesty, hath made provision for the same purposes, in exact conformity to the like instruction or requisi I could also here mention the grants of revenue which the Leeward Islands have made to the crown for the same purposes; but as the assembly of these islands, with too unwary a confidence, neglected to appropriate the monies arising from the revenue which they granted-the crown took it as rather given to the king in his seignoral capacity, than to the supreme magistrate, for the purposes of the state. But parliament in the beginning of the reign of queen Anne, being apprized of this unjust and shameful perversion of this revenue, came to a resolution to address her majesty that for the future those duties of 44 per cent. collected in Barbadoes and the Leeward Islands, might be applied for the repairing and erecting such fortifications, and other public uses, for the safety of the said islands, as her majesty shall direct, and that an annual account how the said duties shall have been expended, may be laid before the House of Commons. Nothing hath ever been done in this matter, although it so regards the honour of the crown, in doing justice to the people; and the same perversion continues to this day. And yet this last revenue-law demands from, and collects upon these people (after having thus perverted what they have already granted more than sufficient) a duplicate revenue for the same purposes already provided for. It is not only unjust to charge these provinces with taxes for the purpose of raising a revenue, who have already, at the requisition of the crown, taxed themselves, and have already raised a revenue for the same end--but there is an additional injustice in charging the obedient provinces with this burthen, for the purpose of supplying the defect in those provinces which have not been obedient to that end. In the next place, when we consider this law as a measure of finance, the fact upon your table proclaims its insufficiency, for the sum returned, as its whole nett produce, amounts but to 2957. and a few shillings. The revenue of Jamaica was, in the year 1728, granted for 8,3717. and is now greatly more than double that sum per annum. The amount raised by this late Compare this revenue, as arising in the | Can any one imagine that there is no red respective provinces, with the revenue or yellow ocre on that great continent? raised for the same purposes in those very Can any one suppose that a country which provinces, previous to this inefficient and abounds with mines of lead, iron and copinjudicious act. per, hath not every colour that the art of painting hath produced and used? But if they had but one, and that the poorest colour that ever was used, we know how far the spirit of an agitated people will go, as there was a time when we heard of nothing but Prussian cakes and Prussian ale; so if a fancy was taken up at once to call this poor colour, the colour of liberty, every house, carriage and ship would be painted with it. act is but 3231. The revenue raised in Virginia, which ought, in like manner as in Jamaica, to be applied to the support of civil government, and to the protection of his Majesty's dominions there, is above 27,500l. per annum; whereas the revenue intended by this act to create a more certain provision, has amounted to but 360l. What the amount of the 4 per cent. duties are, I cannot pretend to mark with any precision, as no account of them has ever been laid before the public-but it is notorious what large grants, by annuities and otherways, are paid out of them. Now, Sir, view this system of finance in the light either of justice or policy, and the impropriety of this act must be apparent in every degree of conviction. It remains that I observe that this law contradicts every maxim and principle of the policy of commerce, in every line of direction by which it should be conducted. I have shewn that it hath a direct tendency to break off that correspondence that hath hitherto been nourished, and hath subsisted between this country and its colonies: That it hath a direct tendency to obstruct the vent of British manufactures and goods in the colonies: That it operates as a bounty to American manufactures : That it encourages the contraband trade and supply from foreign markets: That it takes the ground from under that very policy which should establish the British market for, and make this kingdom a staple to the trade of that country: That it renders the colonies every day less beneficial and advantageous to us, and that it will in the end break off their dependence upon us. I shall therefore only mark the instances in those matters, which this act particularly respects. It lays a duty upon painters' colours. Can any one imagine that the people of America are under any necessity of importing this article into that country? This act lays a strange, unintelligible duty upon paper. There are large manufactures of paper in that country; the only difficulty they labour under is that of collecting a sufficient quantity of linen rags; but if they were once to consider that the substance of paper is nothing but the macerated remains of certain plants, they would find a way of obtaining that substance, without its having gone through the intermediate process of having been made into linen; and then there would be an end to all difficulty as to this article of manufacture; but in the mean while, this act has had a direct tendency to lead them to look for a supply either directly from Holland, or immediately from the Dutch islands in the West Indies. In like manner I could shew, from an authority which, if I was to mention, would have great weight of evidence in this House as to these matters, that this law hath not had the effect of preventing the importation of Dutch teas into that country, but that there never was imported more than in the last year, either directly from Holland, or by way of the Dutch West India islands; and no wonder when our laws clog our own trade, with a discouragement of 25 per cent. This Act lays a duty upon glass, which has a direct tendency to promote the manufacture of that article in those countries. There are already several considerable glass houses there, and I have been told that the great one in Pennsylvania, exports considerable quantities for the support of New York and Boston. It is on these considerations, I shall end what I have to say, in moving the House to go into a Committee, to consider this act, passed in the 7th year of his present Majesty, and the ill effects of it. But as it is, I understand, customary to open now in the House what I shall propose to that Committee, if the House should approve of going into such, the following are what I intend to offer. That it is the opinion of this Committee, that the imposition of certain duties to be raised and levied by an act, made in the 7th year of the reign of his present Majesty, entitled, An Act, &c. on certain goods and manufactures therein mentioned, hath a tendency to obstruct the vent of British manufactures and merchandize in the said colonies and plantations; and to render the colonies and plantations less beneficial and advantageous to his Majesty's dominions of Great Britain. That it is the opinion of this Committee, that the said Act hath not answered the purport and intent thereof, of raising a revenue in his Majesty's dominions in America, for making a more certain and adequate provision for defraying the charge of the administration of justice, and the support of civil government in such provinces where it may be found necessary, and towards further defraying the expences of defending, protecting, and securing the said dominions. SUPPLIES granted for the Year 1769.] Committee of Supply during this Session: That it is the opinion of this Committee, that the repeal of the said duties is, upon commercial considerations alone, highly proper and necessary. That the House be moved to bring in a Bill for repealing so much of an Act, made in the 7th year of the reign of his present Majesty, entitled, An Act, &c. as imposes certain duties on goods therein mentioned, imported into the British colonies and plantations in America. In hopes that the Committee will come to these opinions, "I do move that the House do resolve itself, on Monday next, into a Committee of the whole House, to consider an Act passed in the 7th year of his present Majesty's reign, entitled, An Act," &c. Every person seemed to agree with the motion; but the ministry complaining that the late time of the sessions would not allow a matter of so much consequence to be properly agitated, as they were not prepared for it, a motion was therefore made to put it off till next session. The following are the Resolutions of the NOVEMBER 21, 1768. That 16,000 men be employed for the sea-service for 1769, including 4,287 marines. That a sum not exceeding 47. per man per month be allowed for maintaining them, including ordnance for sea-service NOVEMBER 28. That a number of land forces, including 2,349 invalids, amounting to 17,142 effective men, commission and non-commission officers included, be employed for 1769. .... For defraying the charge of the said number of land forces for 1769 For defraying the charge of the difference of pay between the British and DECEMBER 5. .... For the ordinary of the navy, including half pay to sea and marine officers, £. S. d. 832,000 0 0 ..... FEBRUARY 16, 1769. For paying the pensions to the widows of such reduced officers of his Ma- FEBRUARY 21. Upon account, for maintaining and supporting the civil establishment of Upon account, for defraying the charges of the civil establishment of Upon account, for defraying the charges of the civil establishment of East .... Upon account, for defraying the charges of the civil establishment of West Florida, and the incidental expences attending the same, from 24th June 1768, to 24th June 1769 .. .... Upon account, for defraying the expences of general surveys of his Majesty's FEBRUARY 23. .......... For Charles Dingley, of London, merchant, as a reward to him for having erected and brought to perfection, for the benefit of the public, a windsaw-mill at Limehouse, for the purpose of manufacturing timber into wainscot and deals; and as a recompence for the loss he sustained in the wilful destruction of the said wind-saw-mill, by a number of riotous and disorderly persons, in the month of May last... MARCH 2. To discharge the arrears and debts due and owing upon the civil list, on the 5th Jan. 1769 MARCH 7. Towards erecting a magazine for gunpowder, at Priddy's Hard, in Ports-, mouth harbour .... MARCH 14. Towards defraying the extraordinary expences of his Majesty's land forces, .... To replace to ditto, the like sum paid out of the same, to make good the deficiency on the 5th April 1768, of the fund established for paying annuities in respect of 3,500,000l. borrowed by virtue of an act of the 3rd of his present Majesty, towards the supply granted for the service of 1763.. MARCH 23. That provision be made for paying and clothing of the militia, and for their 1,480 O 0 127,020 0 0 1,351 0 0 107,394 15 10 237,225 15 10 4,375 17 11 3,086 0 0 4,750 0 0 4,800 0 0 1,785 4 0 5,550 0 0 1,800,000 00 1,824,347 1 11 2,000 0 0 513,511 0 0 4,000 0 0 238,557 2 2 47,531 18 6 18,930 3 4 305,019 4 0 subsistence during the time they shall be absent from home on account of the annual exercise, for 1769. APRIL 10. Upon account, to enable the Foundling Hospital to maintain and educate such children as were received into the same, on or before the 25th March 1760, from the 21st Dec. 1768, exclusive, to the 31st Dec. 1769 inclusive, and the said sum to be issued without any deduction Upon account, for enabling the said hospital to put out apprentice the said children, so as that the said hospital do not give with one child more than 77. Upon account, to repay to the governors and guardians of the said hospital, the like sum advanced by them, for apprenticing such children as were received into it, on or before the 25th March, 1760, over and above the sums granted by parliament for that purpose ........ To make good to his Majesty the like sum, which has been issued by his Majesty's orders, in pursuance of the addresses of the House..... Towards carrying on an additional building for a more commodious passage to the House of Commons Towards paying off and discharging the debts of the navy... To make good the deficiency of the grants for the service of 1768 For repairing, maintaining, and supporting the British forts and settlements on the coast of Africa 19,957 10 0 5,600 0 0 3,231 16 0 16,500 0 0 3,000 0 0 400,000 0 0 186,043 1 72 2,000 0 0 APRIL 11. To pay the benefit prizes in the present lottery, charged upon the supplies of the current year APRIL 12. To be advanced to the governor and company of the merchants of England, trading into the Levant seas, to be applied in assisting the said company in carrying on their trade ...... APRIL 20. To be applied for making a new road at the foot of the mountain of Penmaen Mawr, and thereby securing a certain communication between Great Britain and Ireland, by way of Holyhead MAY 1. ..... To Frederick Lafontaine, or to such person or persons as his Majesty shall think proper, to encourage the making of saltpetre in Great Britain, under the inspection of the board of ordnance Total of the Supplies granted this Session... WAYS AND MEANS for the Year 1769.] | The following are the Resolutions of the Committee of Ways and Means: Nov. 24, 1768. That the duties upon malt, mum, cyder, and perry, be continued from 23d June, 1769, to the 24th June, 1770, and charged upon all the malt which shall be made, and all mum which shall be made or imported, and all cyder and perry, which shall be made for sale within the kingdom of Great Britain, 700,000%. Dec. 6. That the sum of 3s. in the pound and no more, be raised within the space of one year, from the 25th March, 1769, upon lands, tenements, hereditaments, pensions, and personal estates, in that part of Great Britain called England, [VOL. XVI.] 649,332 7 7 600,000 0 0 5,000 0 0 2,000 0 0 2,000 0 0 6,909,003 4 105 Wales, and the town of Berwick upon Tweed; and that a proportionable cess, according to the ninth article of the Treaty of Union, be laid upon that part of Great Britain called Scotland, 1,528,5681. 11s. 113d. Feb. 23, 1769. That 1,800,000l. be raised by loans, or exchequer bills, to be charged upon the first aids to be granted in the next session of parliament; and such exchequer bills, if not discharged, with interest thereupon, on or before the 5th April, 1770, to be exchanged and received in payment, in such manner as exchequer bills have usually been exchanged and received in payment. March 14. That the duties of excise, payable upon seal skins, tanned, tawed, [2S] |