Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-09-09
ourselves, and to pos.erity. the blessings Of

groaned-their Egyptian task aster, were
not more unreasonable han our British mas
ters; for they, only rea,re:i in addition 10
theirsevere tasks, that the Israelites, should
not be furnished with straw with which
they made their bricks, but that they should
themselves collect it, & vet should be called
on for the same quantity of bricks, as when
the straw had been delivered to them
but our masters, not only, as l may saw, re-
CURED of US an additional number of bricks.
out at the same time cut off from us the
means of procuring straw TO make them.
FOR thev lad heavy additional duties on
certain articles imported by us, payable i'm
sterling money alone, and at the same time
carefully prevented our importing specie,
from Spain or other countries, and even
from Britain
Besides these duties, we were obliged to
pay tax ON our lands, called quit-rent, in
sterling money, payable to the king; this
however was received in tobacco, at a low
rate, and paid as an Acknowledgement that
W. held our lands Of or under him as pro-
prietor of the soil. Indeed he seemed to be
proprietor not only of our lands and of our
o'ner property, bit os our persons, and e.
ven nj our ccDsciences---as the first was alb
sou'ely claimed by him and his parliament
IN sundrv acts; the second demanded for
him, by the officers Of his army and navy
| impressing GU citizens into his Aects and
armies, atther he had wontaniy plunged us
into war with the French or other powers
! ut Europe: and as TO the claim to our con-
sciens noes, he held it as supreme head of
the church of England, here established.
| and exerted his royal prerogative in this
state according to his royal will and plea
sure-Sometmes most grociousiy permit
\ ting disseniers ashley we're called, to preach
the gospel, on re Giving licences from hs
I Governor and cornell at other times Civ
ing his sanction toiaws, for absolutely prohi-
biting any other than the orthodox MIN
isterS OF his church, from even expoun.
ding the church catechism excluding
all persons from any post in his govern.
ment, who would not take, and subscribe
the test, and compelling against their con-
sciences all dissenters to pay towards the
! support of the clergy and church of Eng
| land.
In the mean time, as averse as we were
to war, 10 shew our patriotism and lovaI
", We voted byou B0rgesses, as or Re-
personalities were called large sums TO
carry on his wars; and freely shed our
blood 10 support The credit of the BRUSH
Arms-By the lid OF these states, hen cal.
led cnlonies,lhe british army took he Ha.
'7nnah from the Spaniards, ard Canada
rom the French, in the war Of 1856
AID British Beet, aided by the People Of
New England alone, took Louisbourg from
he French in the preceding war-snd al.
| hou9h the British government had ac-
kno Fledged the services Of the Colonlss,
and had confessed that they, at leas, some
nj them, bad contributed beyond their a.
bilities, and twenty thousand pounds were
actually sent 10 Governor Dinwiddie. to
reimburse Virginia the sum she had ex-
pended In the early par, of the war of
1855, beyond her propor ton of us expen-
ses ) yet lh's very Colony with I've y other.
was several years al err the war, called on
10 repay the Mother Country the heavy
EXPENSES she had incurred in defending
AMI supporting them (as she termed ny
10 that war-and the stamp act was p s.
sed with view to raI.e a permanent re-.
venue N the Colonies for his EXPIRE ss pur.
pose--We were by this act To be taxed,
without our consent by he King, Lords
and Commons of Britain To relieve their
own wants, TO tighten their hurlhens, to
deiray the expenses OF :heir vars, in which
we had no interest, and IN which, though
successful By our assistanc and exerlions,
have seen lbs ances IN oh we we're treat.
ed wi h contempt IL we were disposed to
! boast OF share in their imaginary glory
lad we were al~ays despised as depen.
dent Cnlonlss; supposed fit only to drudge
for the brreh: oG tie Mother Csunfry =
The famous a0 just mentioned, Showed
what we had to expect from the British
Parliament, if permitted to tax us--for, IL
was calculated to enforce lis own execu-
ton; las the stamped papers on which
the duty was payable were necessary to
marriages, and contracts OF all X nds 10
transfers of all property; to every kind of
legal pr cess IN our courts, and even 10 the
reading OF newspapers and smanacks1
and yel such sums we're required for all
the various species Of stamped papers, that
AL the money in the colonies was moi suf.
hcien to pay for the proceedings in the
courts Of Law and Admiralty alope-So
that Il was soon discovered, that this aa,
would no, oaly have swept awsy all the
,pecie of the Coinnists; but notwi,hstap.
ding every shilling they laid migbt have
1een paid, IN compliance with il, that II
would have deprived them Of the mears
OF performing variety of Business, and
some OF il necessary to their comfor,
and happiness, and to the good order Of
society, for want Of the stamps requisite