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of
Pennsylvania, and afterwards, for selfish purposes,
a fiery patriot, boisterous for liberty and property, meaning a new issue of paper money—submitted to the king the inquiry, ‘whether the duties of stamps
Burke's Virginia, III. 159. |
upon parchment and paper in
England may not, with good reason, be extended by act of parliament to all the
American plantations.’
The suggestion, which probably, was not original with
Keith, met with no favor from the commissioners of trade.
The influence of
Sir Robert Walpole, disinclined by character to every measure of violence, and seeking to conciliate the colonies by his measured forbearance, was a guaranty against its adoption.
‘I will leave the taxing of the
British colonies’—such are the words attributed to him towards the close of his ministry, and such, certainly, were his sentiments—--‘for some of my successors, who may have more courage than I have, and be
Annual Register for 1765. |
less a friend to commerce than I am. It has been a maxim with me,’ he added, ‘during my administration, to encourage the trade of the
American colonies to the utmost latitude: nay, it has been necessary to pass over some irregularities in their trade with
Europe; for, by encouraging them to an extensive, growing foreign commerce, if they gain five hundred thousand pounds, I am convinced that, in two years afterwards, full two hundred and fifty thousand pounds of this gain will be in his majesty's exchequer, by the labor and produce of this kingdom, as immense quantities of every kind of our manufactures go thither; and, as they increase in the foreign American trade, more of our produce will be wanted.
This is taxing them more agreeably to their own constitution and laws.’
Tribute was therefore levied on
America by means of its consumption.
That the
British creditor might
