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Show [ 42 J tient nations grown to perfeflion through a long {cries of fortunate events, and a train of fuccefsful indufiry, accumulating \VC.!ltll in many centuries, than the Colonies of yefierday; than a fet of miferable out-calls, a few years ago, not {0 much fent as thrown out, on the bleak and barren lhore of a defolate wildernefs three thoufand miles from all civilized intercourfe. All this was done by England, whilfl Eng- land purfued trade, and forgot revenue; You not only acquired commerce, but you aé‘tu~ ally created the very objec'ts ot‘trade in America ; and by that creation your railed the trade of this kingdom at leafl four-fold. America had the compenfation of your capital, which made her bear her fervitude. She had another compenfation, which you are now going to take away from‘her. She had, except the commercial refiraint, every charafierillic mark of a'free people in all her internal concerns. She had the image of the Britilh confiitution. She had the lubfiance. own reprefcntatives. own magifirates. She was taxed by her She chofe mofl of her She paid than all. She had in eff-ea the {ole difpofal of her own inter« nal government. This whole flate of com- mercxal fervitude and civil liberty, taken together, is certainly not perfeét freedom; but comparing it with the ordinary Cll'CUlnil‘flLle‘S 01 [43] of human nature, it was an happy and a liberal condition. I know, Sir, that great and not unfuccefsful pains have been taken to inflame our minds by an outcry, in this Houfe and out of it, that in America the aft of navigation neither is, or ever was, obeyed. But if you take the Colonies through, I affirm, that its authority never was diiputed; that it was no where dif‘ puted for any length of time; and on the whole, that it was well obferved. \Vherever the Aét prelled hard, many individuals indeed (evaded it. This is nothing. Thefe fcattered individuals never denied the law, and never obeyed it. Jul} as it happens whenever the laws of trade, whenever the laws of revenue, prefs hard upon the people in England; in that cafe all your {hores are full 'of contraband. Your right to give a monopoly to the Eat India Company, your right to lay immenfe duties on French brandy, are not difputed in England. You do not make this charge on any man. But you know that there is not a creek from Pentland Frith to the We of Wight, in which they do not fmuggle im- menfe quantities of teas, Eaft India goods, and brandies. I take it for granted, that the authority of Gov. Bernard in this point is indifputable. Speaking of thefe laws, as they regarded that part of America now in {0 un- happy 3 condition, he fays, "I believe they " are |