That thus the people will be deprived of their moft effential rights. That it being (as at prefent) a governor's intereft to cultivate the good-will, by promoting the welfare, of the people he governs, -can be attended with no prejudice to the mothercountry; fince all the laws he may be prevailed on to give his affent to are fubject to revision here, and if reported against by the board of trade, are immediately repealed by the crown; nor dare he pass any law contrary to his inftructions; as he holds his office during the pleasure of the crown, and his fecurities are liable for the penalties of their bonds if he contravenes thofe inftructions. This is what they fay as to go

vernors.

As to judges they allege, that being appointed from hence, and holding their commiffions not during good behaviour, as in Britain, but during pleasure; all the weight of interest or influence would be thrown into one of the fcales (which ought to be held even) if the falaries are alfo to be paid out of duties raifed upon the people without their confent, and independent of their affemblies approbation or difapprobation of the judges behaviour. That it is true, judges fhould be free from all influence; and therefore, whenever government: here will grant commilions to able and honest judges during good behaviour, the affemblies will fettle permanent and ample falaries on them during their commiffions; but, at prefent, they have no other means of getting rid of an ignorant or

an

an unjust judge (and fome of fcandalous characters have, they fay, been fometimes fent them) left, but by starving them out.

I do not suppose these reasonings of theirs will appear here to have much weight. I do not produce them with an expectation of convincI relate them merely in puring your readers.

fuance of the task I have imposed on myself, to be an impartial historian of American facts and opinions.

The colonists being thus greatly alarmed, as I faid before, by the news of the act for abolishing the legislature of New York, and the impofition of these new duties, profeffedly for fuch difagreeable purposes (accompanied by a new fet of revenue officers, with large appointments, which gave ftrong fufpicions, that more bufinefs of the fame kind was foon to be provided for them, that they might earn their falaries); began feriously to confider their fituation; and to revolve afresh in their minds, grievances which from their respect and love for this country, they had long borne and seemed almost willing to forget.They reflected how lightly the intereft of all America had been eftimated here, when the interests of a few of the inhabitants of Great Britain happened to have the fmalleft competition with it. That the whole American people was forbidden the advantage of a direct importation of wine, oil, and fruit, from Portugal; but must take them loaded with all the expence of a voyage one thoufand leagues round about, being to be landed firft in England, to be re-fhipped

·re-fhipped for America; expences amounting, in war-time, at least to thirty pounds per cent. more than otherwife they would have been charged with; and all this merely, that a few Portugal merchants in London may gain a commiffion on thofe goods paffing through their hands. (Portugal merchants, by the by, that can complain loudly of the fmallest hardships laid on their trade by foreigners, and yet even in the lait year could oppose with all their influence the giving cafe to their fellow-fubjects labouring under fo heavy an oppreffion!) That on a flight complaint of a few Virginia merchants, nine colonies had been reftrained from making paper-money, become abfolutely neceffary to their internal commerce, from the constant remittance of their gold and filver to Britain. But not only the intereft of a particular body of merchants; but the intereft of any small body of British tradesmen or artificers, has been found, they fay, to outweigh that of all the King's fubjects in the colonies. There cannot be a ftronger natural right than that of a man's making the best profit he can of the natural produce of his lands, provided he does not thereby hurt the ftate in general. Iron is to be found every where in America, and the beaver furs are the natural produce of that country: hats, and nails and steel, are wanted there as well as here. It is of no importance to the common welfare of the empire whether a fubject of the King's gets his living with making hats on this, or on that fide of the water. Yet the hatters of England have

I

prevailed

prevailed to obtain an act in their own favour, reftraining that manufacture in America; in order to oblige the Americans to fend their beaver to England to be manufactured, and purchase back the hats, loaded with the charges of a double transportation. In the fame manner have a few nail-makers, and still a smaller body of fteel-makers (perhaps there are not half a dozen of these in England) prevailed totally to forbid by an act of parliament the erecting of flitting-mills, or fteel furnaces in America; that the Americans may be obliged to take all their nails for their buildings, and steel for their tools, from thefe artificers, under the fame disadvantages *,

*

Added

[I fhall here give the reader the note at the end of the fourth paragraph of the Farmer's feventh letter, (written by Mr. Dicken fon.)

Many remarkable inftances might be produced of the extraordinary inattention with which bills of great importance, concerning thefe colonies, have paffed in parliament; which is owing, as it is fuppofed, to the bills being brought in, by the perfons who have points to carry, fo artfully framed, that it is not eafy for the members in general, in the hatte of bufinefs, to discover their tendency.

The following inftances fhew the truth of this remark.

When Mr. Grenville, in the violence of reformation and innovation, formed the 4th George III. chap. 15th, for regulating the American trade, the word "Ireland" was dropt in the claufe relating to our iron and lumber, fo that we could fend thefe articles to no other part of Europe, but to Great Britain. This was fo unreasonable a restriction, and fo contrary to the fentiments of the legislature, for many years before, that it is furprising it should not have been taken notice of in the houfe. However, the bill paffed into a law. But when the matter was explained, this refriction was taken off in a fubfequent act.

I cannot fay, how long after the taking off this restriction, as I have not the acts; but I think in lefs than eighteen months, another act of parliament paffed, in which the word "Ireland"

I i

was

Added to thefe, the Americans remembered the act authorizing the most cruel infult that perhaps was ever offered by one people to another, that of emptying our gaols into their fettlements; Scotland too having within these two years obtained the privilege it had not before, of fending its rogues and villains alfo to the plantations-I fay, reflecting on these things, they faid one to another (their news-papers are full of such discourses)." These people are not content with making a monopoly of us, (forbidding us to trade with any other country of Europe, and

was left out, as it had been before. The matter being a fecond time explained, was a fecond time regulated..

Now if it be confidered, that the omiffion mentioned, ftruck off, with one word, fo very great a part of our trade, it must ap-pear remarkable: and equally fo is the method by which rice became an enumerated commodity, and therefore could be carried to Great Britain only.'

"The enumeration was obtained, (fays Mr. Gee on Trade, p. 32.) by one Cole, a captain of a flip, employed by a com"pany then trading to Carolina; for feveral hips going from England thither, and purchafing rice for Portugal, prevented the "aforefaid Captain of a loading. Upon his coming home, he poffeffed one Mr. Lowndes, a member of parliament, (who "was frequently employed to prepare bills) with an opinion, that carrying rice directly to Portugal was a prejudice to the trade of England, and privately got a claufe into an act to make it an "enumerated commodity; by which means he secured a freight "to himself. But the confequence proved a vast loss to the na"tion."

I find that this claufe," privately got into an act, for the bene"fit of Captain Cole, to the vast lofs of the nation," is foifted into the 3d Anne, chapter 5th, intituled, An Act for granting to Her Majefty a further fubfidy on wines and merchandizes imported;' with which it has no more connexion, than with 34th Edward I. 34th and 35th of Henry VIII. or the 25th Charles II. which provide that no perfon fhall be taxed but by himself or his reprefentatives.' E.]

compelling