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felves in many uncommon expences. When the war was terminated, and they had no further apprehenfion of danger, the power of the late enemy in the country being totally broken-Canada, and the back lands to the very banks of the Miffiffippi, with the Floridas, being ceded to Great Britain-it was thought they could not well make too much of those who had fo contributed to their fecurity. Partly to do honor to them, and partly, it is to be feared, to gratify their own pride, they added to their fhow of plate, by borrowing of neighbours, and made a great parade of riches in their several entertainments. The plenty and variety of provifion and liquors, enabled them to furnish out an elegant table at a comparatively trifling expence.

Mr. Grenville's intended ftamp-act was communicated to the American agents. Many of them did not oppose it. Half their number were placemen, or dependent on the miniftry. Mr. Jofeph Sherwood, an honeft quaker, agent for Rhode Island, refufed his affent to America's being taxed by a British parliament. Mr. Mauduit, the Maffachusetts agent, favored the raifing of the wanted money by a stamp duty, as it would occafion lefs expence of officers, and would include the Weft India iflands. But the scheme was poftponed, and the agents authorized to inform the American affemblies, that they were at liberty to fuggeft any other way of raifing monies; and that Mr. Grenville was ready to receive propofals for any other tax, that might be equivalent in its produce to the ftamp-tax. The colonies feemed to confider it as an affront, rather than a compliment. He would not have been content with any thing fhort of a certain fpecific fum, and proper funds

for

for the payment of it. Had not the fums been answerable to his wishes, he would have rejected them; and he would fcarce have been fatisfied with less than 300,000l. per annum, which was judged abfolutely neceffary to defray the whole expence of the army proposed for the defence of America: he might rather have expected that it fhould amount to what Mr. Huske had mentioned. No fatisfactory propofals being made, he adhered to his purpose of bringing forward the ftampbill, though repeatedly preffed by fome of his friends to defift, while he might have done it with honor. Richard Jackson efq; had been chofen agent for the Maffachusetts; he with Mr. Ingerfoll, Mr. Garth, and Mr. Franklin, lately come from Philadelphia, waited on Mr. Grenville, the fecond of February, 1765, by defire of 1765. the colonial agents, to remonftrate against the stamp- 2. bill, and to propofe that in cafe any tax must be laid upon America, the feveral colonies might be permitted to lay the tax themselves. At this interview Mr. Jackfon opened his mind freely on the fubject; and Mr. Franklin, as must be fuppofed, mentioned that he had it in inftruction from the affembly of Pennsylvania, to affure the ministry, that they fhould alway think it their duty to grant fuch aids to the crown, as were fuitable to their circumftances, whenever called for in the ufual conftitutional manner. Mr. Grenville however, pertinaciously adhered to his own opinions; and faid, that he had pledged his word for offering the ftamp-bill to the boufe, and that the houfe would hear their objections,

&c. &c.

The bill was brought in; and on the first reading, Mr. Charles Townsend spoke in its favor. He took no

Feb.

tice of several things that colonel Barre had faid in his fpeech against it; and then concluded with the following or like words: "And now will these Americans, children planted by our care; nourished up by our indulgence, until they are grown to a degree of ftrength and opulence; and protected by our arms; will they grudge to contribute their mite, to relieve us from the heavy weight of that burden which we lie under?"

On this colonel Barre rofe, and after explaining some paffages in his fpeech, took up Mr. Townsend's concluding words in a most spirited and inimitable manner, faying, "They planted by YOUR care! No, your oppreffions planted them in America. They fled from your tyranny, to a then uncultivated and unhofpitable country, where they expofed themselves to almoft all the hardships to which human nature is liable; and among others, to the cruelties of a favage foe, the moft fubtle, and I will take upon me to fay, the moft formidable of any people upon the face of God's earth; and yet, actuated by principles of true English liberty, they met all hardships with pleafure, compared with thofe they fuffered in their own country, from the hands of those that fhould have been their friends.-They nourished up by YOUR indulgence! They grew by your neglect of them. As foon as you began to care about them, that care was exercised in fending perfons to rule them, in one department and another, who were, perhaps, the deputies of deputies to fome members of this houfe, fent to spy out their liberties, to mifreprefent their actions, and to prey upon them-men, whofe behaviour on many occafions, has caufed the blood of those fons of liberty to recoil within them-men promoted to the

highcft

highest feats of justice; fome who to my knowledge were glad, by going to a foreign country, to escape being brought to the bar of a court of justice in their own.— They protected by YOUR arms! They have nobly taken up arms in your defence; have exerted a valor, amidst their conftant and laborious industry, for the defence of a country, whofe frontier was drenched in blood, while its interior parts yielded all its little favings to your emolument. And believe me, remember I this day told you so, that fame fpirit of freedom, which actuated that people at first, will accompany them ftill-but prudence forbids me to explain myself further.-God knows, I do not at this time speak from motives of party heat; what I deliver are the genuine fentiments of my heart. How ever superior to me in general knowledge and experience the refpectable body of this houfe may be, yet I claim to know more of America than moft of you, having feen and been converfant in that country.-The people, I believe, are as truly loyal as any fubjects the king has; but a people jealous of their liberties, and who will vindicate them, if ever they should be violated

but the fubject is too delicate-I will fay no more." These sentiments were thrown out, fo entirely without premeditation, fo forcibly and fo firmly; and the breaking off was fo beautifully abrupt, that the whole house fat awhile amazed, intently looking without anfwering a word.

The London merchants trading to America, being much alarmed on account of their outstanding debts, petitioned against the ftamp-act. Their petition was offered at the fecond reading of the bill. The rule of the house, never to receive petitions againft money bills, VOL. I.

M

Was

was urged. General Conway obferved, that it appeared undeniable, that the practice was by no means invariable; at best it was but a practice of convenience, from which they ought, in the prefent inftance, to vary. The ministry publicly declared, "That it was intended to ftablish the power of Great Britain to tax the colonies." They were induced to make a point of it, because most of the petitions from thence, denied in the strongest terms, the right of Britain to impofe taxes. It was evident that the minifterial forces would prevail, the petition of the London merchants was therefore withdrawn. After that, the others from the colonies were offered, but rejected upon the plea taken from the rule of the house. During the debate upon the bill, in this ftage of it, "general Conway denied the right of parliament to tax the Americans, in the most peremptory manner; and urged, with great vehemence, the many hardships, and what he was pleased to call, abfurdities that would follow from the contrary doctrine and practice *." Alderman Beckford alfo difputed the right of parliament, according to Mr. Ingerfoll's letter.

The fupporters of the ftamp-act infifted much upon the colonies being virtually represented; and mentioned Leeds, Halifax, Birmingham, Manchester, &c. as enjoying a virtual reprefentation. Whoever had a recourfe to a virtual reprefentation of the colonies, in vindication of the parliament's taxing them, therein acknowledged, that there ought not to be taxation without reprefentation. But the difference between Leeds, Halifax, &c. and the American colonies, is as wide as the Atlantic. The landholders of thofe towns enjoy a real reprefentaMr. Ingerfoll's letter of March 6, 1765