The Massachusetts spy, or, Thomas's Boston journal. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1772-1775, 1774-02-03

paper, and yOH will ObLgf one q .joHr esesmrs.
R, January gift, I774. AZ.
;2Ssza S TEA has of late been, and
az &zSE is now, the principal fubjeet-
+ X A HH matter of conversation, and
.&SzSE. has occaGoned fuch a vaft
SsSsEs& number of town-meetings up
on this continent, it may not be improper
at this time to lay before the public, an
climate of the annual charge of this Jingle
article, to the orth-American colonies.
To invefigate this, we ihall begin with
fact aicertalned by the Eaif-India company,
in their late application to the miniftry, to
obtain the repeal of the three-penny duty;
in which they Gay, That the ufual yearly
confumption in the colonies, before that
duty took place, was two million pounds
weight That in confequence of the duty
being oReniiye to the colonies, they have
loft a great part of their iales And that
in coniequence of this, they have an un-
common quantity now in their WAREHOUSES
And that, fuppoine the colonies hould
take off the ulual quantities yet, there
will remain unfold, in December 1874,
four years flock.
This two millions fupplied from the Eaf-
India company, is iuppoied not more than
half the quantity annually continued In
Ncrth-Amcrica.
Another writer fuppoies that there are
two million perfons in the colonies who
drink Tea, and reckons two pounds to
each.
Now it is fnppoied that there are at this
time, in the colonies upon the continent,
five million inhabitants, executive of Indi-
ans if 70, then, agreeable to the above, we
may fairly fuppole four million pounds
weight Of Tea annually confirmed among
them.
This ,ooo, ooolb. VT.
at sd. Rerl. perlb. duty s.ea. Old T.nos.
amounts to E.soNoe- e6 10000.
And thenfuppofe zsod. "ST'
Gerl. per ID. more tor
Its 6Ilt colt, charges,
and merchants profits,
until it gets into the
coniumery hands, and
this amounts to herl. 10000 - Ssooeoo.
100000, - 100000.
BY this il appears, that if we eonfume
yearly four million pounds weight, and that
the confuner pays 3os. old tenor per pound
upon an average, we mutt annually pay fix
million pounds old tenor for foreign ar
ticle, which is abfolutely unneceGary, and
which we can 70 well do without, that per-
haps it would not be worth our acceptance
at one penny old tenor per pound.
When we confder, the duty with which
this article is loaded, with its attendant,
SLAVERY; that its MEDICAL vIR-
TUES do not recommend it that is drains
US Of an inmenie fun of money, which if
left to circulate among US, would be great
bleAfng to people of all ranks and that
various fubtitutes are eahly obtained, either
from among ourfelves, or from the Wet
Indies with our produce / FAY, when
theie things are coniidered, we fhall iearcely
find within US, fuch an Affection for it, As
to lacrihce fix millions annually for the
enolument of the Eae-India company, or
the eftabliihment of an AMERICAN REvE-
NUE.. And as the merchants of Bottom,
New-York, &c. may eafly turn their ftock
into another channel, lcis injurious to the
country, il is hoped they viii readily give
I'd that article of commerce, and heartily
;oin the country in full and unlimited re-
nunciation of all foreign 7 EAS forever |;
fer, (" by UNITING, we Rand BY DIvID-
ING. we fall"