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Show [Az B.T.] Letter to G. Shirley on an M21022. A L s A N Y P A P E R s comb/11M. 130 hereto" of artificers or traders in England, who more been have to fore teem, in fome initances, con- was than or ies, colon the regarded than all national hell or eit, inter ral gene the with nt fiile of the 00d. 1 think too that the government are they h whic innt, iame colonies, by a parl eable agre more y vai'tl be d woul d, fente repre y fairl mpted to the people, than the method lately atte as Well as to be introduced by 1‘Oyal inttrufition; ]}: more agreeable to the nature of an Eng/7 that and ty; conflitution, and to Eng/2]]: liber fuch laws as now feem to bear hard on the colo nt iame parl a fuch by ed judg n (whe d nies, woul ohms... ‘Jin , ‘ '- wan F'l' T, Y" ‘ ‘ l for the belt interett of the whole) be more cheerfully fubmitted to, and more caiily executed. I {hould hope too, that by fuch an union, the people of Great Britain, and the people of the colonies, would learn to confider themfelves, as not belonging to ditferent communities with different interei'ts, but to one community with one interel'c; which I imagine would contribute to {trengthen the whole, and greatly leffen the danger of future feparations. It is, Ifuppofe, agreed to be the general intereflr of any flate, that its people be numerous and rich; men enow to fight in its defence, and enow to pay fuflicient taxes to defray the charge ; for thefe circumflances tend to the fecurity of the Rate, and its protection from foreign power. But it feems not of £0 much importance whether the fighting be done by john or Thomas, or the tax paid by William or Charles. 3 The iron manu- I 31 facture employs and enriches Brz'tz‘f/J fubjeéts but is it of any importance to the (late, whethdr the manufafl'urer lives at Birmingham or Shefiield or both; fince they are {till within its bounds, and their wealth and perfons fiill at its com: mand? Cbuld the Goodwin Sand: be laid dry by banks, and land equal to a large country thereby gained to England, and prefently filled w1th.Engli{h inhabitants; would it be right to deprive .fuch inhabitants of the common privi- leges. enJoyed by other Englifhmen, the right of vending their produce in the fame ports, or of making their own {hoes 5 becaufe a merchant or a fhoemaker, living on the old land, might fan- cy it more for his advantage to trade or make {hoes for them? Would this be right, even if the land were gained at the expence of the fate ? And would it not feem lefs right, if the charge and labour of gaining the additional territory to Britain had been borne by the fettlers themfelves? and would not the hardfhi'p appear yet greater, if the people of the new country fhould beellowed no reprefentatives in parliament enaeting fuch impofitions .9 Now I look on the (0- longer asfo many countries gained to Great Bri- tazn; and more advantageous to it, than if they had been gained out of the fea around our coafis, and Joined to its land; for being in different climates, they afibrd greater variety of produce, and materials for more manufactures; and beincr feparated by the ocean, they increafe much mar: its {hipping and feamen: and, fincc they are ' faéturc S 2 all |