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Show 286 Exm/zi/mtz'mz q/‘Dr. Franklin [mfg/v r/Je [A2 D.T.] been, ready to raife money by taxes among them- ‘ rica had exerted tlieiiiielves, in defence of his IIOIf/t" {fCa/iZ/Imzr in 1766. 287 felves, and to grant largedums, equal to their ‘ Majelty's juft rights and abilities ; upon requifition irom the crown: They have not only granted equal to their abilities; but, during all the lair war, they granted far beyond their abilities, and beyond then" proportion ‘ mended it to the houfe to take the fame into ‘ confideration, and enable him to give them a ‘ proper compenlation.' You will find thofe with this country, (you yourlclves berngyudgesfl to the amount of many hundred thouland pounds; And this they did freely and readily,‘ only on a fort of promife, from the fecretary 0t flare, that it {hould be recommended to parliament to make them compenfation. It was accordingly recommended to parliament, in the moft honourable manner for them.---America has been greatly mifreprefented and abufed here, in papers, and pamphlets, and fpeeches, as ungrateful, and unreafonable, and unjuf't; in having put this na- tion to immenfe expence for their defence, and refuting to bear any part of that expence. The colonies raifed, paid, and clothed, near twentyfive thoufand men during the laft war; a num- ber equal to thofe fent from Britain, and. far poITeflions; recom- meflages on your own journals every year of the war to the very laf'r; and you did according- ly give 200,000], annually to the crown, to be dif'tributed in fuch compenfation to the colonies. This is the Itrongefi of all proofs that the colo- nies, far from being unwilling to bear a (bare of the burthen, did exceed their proportion; for if they had done lefs, or had only equalled their proportion, there would have been no room or realbn for compenfl1ti0n..--Indeed the fums reimburfed them, were by no means adequate to the expence they incurred beyond their propor- tion: but they never murmured at that; they efteem their Sovereign's approbation of their zeal and fidelity, and the approbation of this houfe, far beyond any other kind of compen- fation ; therefore there was no occafion for this beyond their proportion; they went deeply into debt in doing this, and all their taxes and el'tates act, are mortgaged, for many years to come, for pq/ér of the aét; no requifition had been made; to force money from a willing people: they had not refufed giving money for the pur- Government here was-at they were always willing and ready to do what that time very fenfible of this. The colonies were recommended to parliament. Every year could reafonably be expected from them, and in this light they wnh to be confidered. difcharging that debt. the King fent down to the houfe a written meifage to this purpofe, ‘That his Majefty, being ‘ highly fenfible of the zeal and vigour wrth ‘ which his faithful fubjee'ts in North Ame- I ‘ I'lC'J :2, But fupnofe Great Britain fhould be engaged in a war m Europe, would North Ame- rica contribute to the fupport of it P d. It |