This had been the wifdom of our government with refpect to raifing money in the colonies. It was well known, that the colonists univerfally were of opinion, that no money could be levied from English fubjects, but by their own confent, given by themselves or their chofen reprefentatives; that therefore whatever money was to be raised from the people in the colonies, must first be granted by their affemblies, as the money raised in Britain is first to be granted by the house of commons; that this right of granting their own money, was effential to English liberty; and that any man, or body of men in which they had no reprefentative of their choofing, could tax them at pleasure, they could not be said to have any property, any thing they could call their own. But as thefe opinions did not hinder their granting money voluntarily and amply, whenever the crown by its fervants came into their affemblies (as it does into its parliaments of Britain or Ireland) and demanded aids; therefore that method was chofen; rather than the hateful one of arbitrary

if

taxes.

I do not undertake here to fupport these opinions of the Americans; they have been refuted by a late act of parliament, declaring its own power; which very parliament, however, fhewed wifely fo much tender regard to thofe inveterate prejudices, as to repeal a tax that had militated against them. And thofe prejudices are still fo fixed and rooted in the Americans, that, it has been supposed, not a fingle man among them has been convinced

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convinced of his error, even by that act of parliament.

The perfon then who firft projected to lay afide the accustomed method of requifition, and to raise money on America by flamps, feems not to have acted wifely, in deviating from that method (which the colonifts looked upon as conftitutional) and thwarting unneceffarily the fixed prejudices of fo great a number of the King's fubjects.-It was not, however, for want of knowledge, that what he was about to do would give them offence; he appears to have been very fenfible of this, and apprehenfive that it might occafion fome diforders; to prevent or fupprefs which, he projected another bill that was brought in the fame feffion with the Stamp Act, whereby it was to be made lawful for military officers in the colonies to quarter their foldiers in private houses. This feemed intended to awe the people into a compliance with the other Great oppofition however being raised here against the bill by the agents from the colonies, and the merchants trading thither, (the colonists declaring, that under fuch a power in the army, no one could look on his houfe as his own, or think he had a home, when foldiers might be thrust into it and mixed with his family at the pleasure of an officer,) that part of the bill was dropt; but there still remained a claufe, when it paffed into a law, to oblige the feveral affemblies to provide quarters for the foldiers, furnishing them with firing, bedding, candles, fmall beer or rum, and fundry other articles, at the expence

act.

of

of the feveral provinces. And this act continued in force when the Stamp Act was repealed; though if obligatory on the affemblies, it equally militated against the American principle above mentioned that money is not to be raised on English fubjects without their confent.

The colonies nevertheless being put into high good humour by the repeal of the Stamp Act, chofe to avoid a fresh difpute upon the other, it being temporary and foon to expire, never, as they hoped, to revive again; and in the mean time they, by various ways in different colonies, provided for the quartering of the troops; either by acts of their own affemblies, without taking notice of the Act of Parliament, or by fome variety or small diminution, as of falt and vinegar, in the fupplies required by the act; that what they did might appear a voluntary act of their own, and not done in due obedience to an Act of Parliament, which, according to their ideas of their rights, they thought hard to obey.

It might have been well if the matter had then paffed without notice; but a governor having written home an angry and aggravating letter upon this conduct in the affembly of his province, the outed [Propofer *] of the Stamp Act and his adherents (then in the oppofition) raised fuch a clamour against America, as being in rebellion; and against those who had been for the repeal of the Stamp Act, as having thereby been encouragers

* [Mr. George Grenville. E.]

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of this fuppofed rebellion; that it was thought neceffary to enforce the Quartering Act by another act of parliament, taking away from the province of New York (which had been the most explicit in its refusal) all the powers of legislation, till it fhould have complied with that act. The news of which greatly alarmed the people every where in America, as (it had been faid) the language of fuch an act seemed to them to be-obey implicitly laws made by the parliament of Great Britain to raise money on you without your confent, or you shall enjoy no rights or privileges at all.

At the fame time a perfon lately in high office projected the levying more money, from America, by new duties on various articles of our own manufacture, (as glafs, paper, painters colours, &c.) appointing a new board of cuftoms, and fending over a fet of commiffioners, with large falaries, to be established at Boston, who were to have the care of collecting those duties; which were by the act exprefsly mentioned to be intended for the payment of the falaries of governors, judges, and other officers of the crown in America; it being a pretty general opinion here, that thofe officers ought not to depend on the people there, for any part of their support.

It is not my intention to combat this opinion, -But perhaps it may be fome fatisfaction to your readers, to know what ideas the Americans have on the fubject. They fay then, as to governors,

[Mr. Charles Townsend. E.1

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that they are not like princes whose posterity have an inheritance in the government of a nation, and therefore an interest in its profperity; they are generally ftrangers to the provinces they are fent to govern; have no eftate, natural connection, or relation there, to give them an affection for the country; that they come only to make money as faft as they can; are fometimes men of vicious characters and broken fortunes, sent by a minister merely to get them out of the way; that as they intend staying in the country no longer than their government continues, and purpose to leave no family behind them; they are apt to be regardlefs of the good-will of the people, and care not what is faid or thought of them after they are gone. Their fituation at the fame time, gives them many opportunities of being vexatious; and they are often fo, notwithstanding their dependence on the affemblies for all that part of their fupport, that does not arife from fees eftablished by law; but would probably be much more fo, if they were to be fupported by money drawn from the people without their confent or good will; which is the profeffed defign of this new act. That if by means of thefe forced duties government is to be fupported in America, without the intervention of the affemblies; their affemblies will foon be looked upon as ufelefs; and a governor will not call them, as having nothing to hope from their meeting, and perhaps fomething to fear from their inquiries into, and remonftrances against, his mal-administration.

That