Considerations on the propriety of imposing taxes in the British colonies for the purpose of raising a revenue, by act of Parliament.

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[47] [46] the Confideration of the Home of Commons, be neglected, there would foon be an End to'that whether the Parliament could impofe an internal Commerce, whence her greatelt Wealth is derived, Tax in the Colonies or not, for the flngle Pnrpofe and upon which her maritime Power is princi- of Revenue? It appears to me, that ,there. is a clear and he pally founded. From thefe Confiderations, the Right of the Betti/b Parliament to regulate the 'I‘rade of the Colonies, may be jultly deduced; ceffary Dillinction between an Act impofmg a Tax for. tlae flag/e Pnrpofe of Revenue, and thofe Afts which have been made for the Regulation of Trade, and have produced fome Revenue in Can- feqztenee of their ILfiefi and Operation as Regulations of Trade. a Denial of it would contradict the Admifiion of the Subordination, and of the Authority to pre- The Colonies claim the Privileges of Br/tzfl) to regulate the Trade of the Colonies, being un- Subjects-Jt has been proved to be inconfii'tent with thofe Privileges, to tax Them without their are to be of Courfe fub'mitted to the Determina- ferve it, relulting from the Nature of the Relation between the h/Iother Country and her Colonies. It is a common, and frequently the mod: proper Method to regulate Trade by Duties on Imports and Exports. own Confent, and it hath been demonfirated that a The Authority ‘of the Mother Country quefiionable, what Regulations are the molt proper, tion of the Parliament; and, if an incidental Re- Tax impofed by Parliament, is a Tax wit/J on! their Confent. ‘L'emtt', {hould be produced by fuch Regulations; thefe are not therefore unwarrantable. The Subordination of the Culonies, and the Au- A Right to impofe an internal Tax on the Co- lonies, without their Confentfor tbefingle Purpofe I‘lIOl'le of the Parliament to preferve it, hav e been fully acknowledged. Not only the Welfar e, but perhaps the Exdlence of the Mother Cou ntry, as an independent Kingdom, may depend upon her Trade and 1\'av1gation, and thefe f0 far upon her lntercourle Wltll the (,olonies, that if this fhould " of extreme Magnitude, but of the molt general and [Jig/JP]! legal Nature, involving in it a Decifion of t/Jefirfl and "1/1 ‘t fundamental Prim/plea of Lit/terry, Property, and Government, " and well quart of Revenue, is denied, a Right to regulate their Trade without their Confent is admitted. The Impofition of a Duty, may, in fome Inl‘tances, be the proper Regulation. ,If the Claims of the Mother Country and the Colonies fhould feem on fuch an C'ccafion to interfere, and the Point of Right to be doubtful, (which I take to be other- ‘I /{y alfo, as to. the temporary Policy of it, the " tnofl/m-zoutol all Confideration. This was refolved too if I am informed right, at the Clofe of the Nigh t, and the Riling of ‘ thel‘lonfe; fo that evrry Body mull have taken it as a clear 4‘ Thing, that They could at any Tim e come to a Refolution I‘ upon any general Point of Law, when ever They {hould fee .. 1! txfedient 10 to do, jE'z' l'erlz:.rn1_ ,/}rpievrti,/ezt f/l." I a wile) it is cafy to guefs that the Determination will be on the Side of Power, and that the Inferior will be conflrained to fubmit "‘2 The ‘ In the Reign ofour great Deliverer, when the ling/{fit and the Date/2 were at War with France, They yomed in preventing the Nmthtrn Powers from carrying on a lrade With the hue. my.