a 6 1
7
no foundation for the diftin&ion fome make ia
England, between an internal and an external
tax on the cqlpnies. By the firft is meant a
tax on trade by the latter a tax on land, ami
the things on it. A tax on trade is either a
tax of every man in the province, or 'tis not.
Iftis nota tax on the whole, -'tis unequal and -unju
ft, that a heavy burdenihould be laid
on the trade of ;the colonie to maintain an
army of ibldiers, , cuftom-houfe officers, arid
- think every man has a' right to examine; as
freely into thfc origin, fpnng and foundation
of every power and meafure iri a common-
- wealth,' as into a piece of curious machinery,
or a remarkable phenomenon in nature 3 and
that it ought to give no more qftence to lay,
the parliament have erred, or are mlftaken,
. in :what
a private man, if it is true of both. If the, afr
- r rir-Uf-n mveH-w i thr ornrrl-to either
,aw&iium vi wv r w . '7. . , ' n r t n. n i .1
h is a kindnels done tnem to.inew tnem inc. '"'i" ., w .utuu.w
truth. With regard to the public, it is the of both trade and land would not, furnifh means
tiutyWTciti aHthc laft war, when all
he fcinlcslrrorieouOT
I have .waited years in hopes to fee fome one in part by parliament. How can it be fuppof-
friend of the .colonies pleading in public for ed that all of a fudden the trade of the colonies
them. I have waited in vain. One privilege alone can bear all this terrible burden. The
is taken Sway after another, and where we late acquifitions in America, as glorious as they
fl,.,n k u,il dn, bnws. and I truft will have been, .and as beneficial as ther are to
uiaii uy imi j J : y .- -.. " 1 f ! . . i r
proted and provide for us, even fhould we be Great Britain, are only a fecurity to .thefe co-
driven and perfected i.ito a more weftern wil- Jonies againft the ravages of, the French and
dt-rnefs, on the fcorc of .liberty, civil and religt- Indians. Our trade upon the whole is not, I
r .r ...r onwftnrc im-r,. to thefpnnre believe, benefited bv them one eroat. AH the
f.,ronrPftnr: w.Tft.rntliefeonce believe, benehted by them one eroat..AH the
inhfnitalilc fhores of America. I had formed time the French Iflandswere in our hands, the
iyreat cxoellationsfrom a gentleman, who pub-
kic Arfl- vftliimp in a 11 a r to. on the.r.iHts"bl
fine fugars, &c. were all (hipped home. None
as I havT b
;ic tVn rc fiTHiifr'as heforefaw. bro t to the colonies. J hey were too delia-
the ftate of his health and affairs have prevent- ous a morfel for a North , American palate. If
ed his further progrefs. The misfortune is,
gentlemen in ; 4mer;caj the belt . quaimea m
every refped to ftate the rights of the colonifts, '
have reafons that prevent them from engaging :
Some of them have good ones;. There are
many infinitely
than' I pretend to be 5 but- from indolence,
from timidity, or by nccefTafy engagements,
the v are prevented. The re has bjeen a molt
profound,"and;l:thm
it be (aid that a tax on the trade of the colo
nies is an equal and juft tax on the whole of
the inhabitants ; . What then becomes of the
notable diftinfiion between external and inter
nal taxes I Why may not the parliament lay
ftamps, land taxes, eftablifh tythes to tthe
chiirch of England, and fo indefinitely. I
know-of noibounds,ld6 notmention-the
tythes out of any difrefpel to the church of
antiwhtchelteem: byfart hfcbeiti7fE
Jinel
feems alm'oft too late to aflsrt our indifputable-
rights as men and as citizens, yv nai muu poi- w,v ""7 ".."?
terity think of us. The ttade of the whole world. But to thofe colonies who in general
cnnunenttaxed by- parliamentrftampsand - difTent from a principle of confcience, it would
other internal duties. and taxes as they are caU feem a little hard to pay towards the fupport of
led, talked of, and not one pemiontothe worfhip, whofe modes they icannot conform
Trjnn- onrt riarliampnt tor relief. A0.
Tcaihihot . b'uLobfervc ;iwe, thaVir:ihe.parlia:
ment have an equitable right to tax our trade3
jtic InirrMitKIp '"that thev have as ?ood an one
iij i vi hum"" t . - . ,d . : . . . - t 1 . 1
to taxelands:Md-eKrythiog.eUgjJ.fte :.oerroineq ineiuro io.;uc .iiKutmvim
If an army, muft he kopt up in America; at
the expehce of the colonies; it would not feem
quite if . after the parliament- had
"fMrnHViPc nnp rpnfnn whv the" tioned lU to'have allowed each colony to al-
other fhould be taxed, or clfe the burdens -;of fefs its quota, and ratfe it as calilv to themftlves
the province, will be unequally born, upon a as mjoht bCi But to have the whole levied and
A -.. ir' : : r ; -
fuDDofitiori thafalax on trade is not a tax on collected wuhoutouconitnus extraojuinary. -
thehWBuruke a"u ""'
T. .-t-- . - - - -.- , . .. , . . ' J .
:iai(T