Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-11-15


~Pecisi ground ct complaint In the solori remons-
frances. esp'eislly those Of the colonial assembly OF
fhk, which bedyn l763 ecmp ed OF beipg obliged
20 receive from i,an ali European msrehopdse, and
especially the grand article OF eoihng." Al the same
time they resolved, shat The dulles imposed by parlis
ment on he nads Ct n IL cCiouy are very grievous
ageou, trade hrecre esrried with the foreign
iland' ct The West I,dies.-( Journal of assembly of
.Nttc York for l763.'?
rave quoted ID F'auklin iu l7i5, let us now OBJ
his lngusg in his famous txamraton before the
House OF Cemm1n, In 1766.
90 what will bs the opinions Of The Americans on
'hes resolution (nertng TIE III IN, Of Great Britain
'otsx Am>sice)
"a They viii ,hitk ,hem unsons,i,u' ioual and un.
Just"
%. Was, osinon in America, before 1853, tina,
tbs Pa.'amen, had no right 10 lay taxes and duties
thsr 20
"a. pever heard any Of cion. 10 the right Of lay.
Tag cus 10 90 but the right to lay in
'ernsl axes was never though, to he in Pa limen,"
~ % wha' do you found your opirior, that the
Peope O. america make any 'ueh dis,ios'icr'
"A knew that Whenever the subj let has occurred
ia conversation, has appeared tho opinion OF every
oue ,ba, could rot be taxed by Parliament where
we were not represented. But the payment Of cu.ies
laid as regulations OF commerce was never dispute cd"
Q. Can you name any Ast OF Assembly, or public
&C IN. king sue h di, ie,'ior?"
"a 10 no krow that here any. There was
novsr an occa'ion to make any 'ucN ill Ina, you
ave ai,enp ed to tax ~ That has ocsasioned ths
dis lection 10 which hiuk every mbly the csn-
in-n', and ecery member 10 every Assembly ha, been
uaon iniOus.'
Such ~ss The nearing which these words bore in
tie STA pa?'rs ard putlic assemblies Of America al
ne conmr ncement Il he r, volution. The celebrated
Fa.m-''' tiers OF John Dickinson the mos, eoqntn
aud popular political writer OF The day in The middle
'ontes, agsios, B'i''h TAXATION will sbew how they
w,re employed 10 composition addressed to The people
! Il lNge, a, she same eveuiful epoch.
The parliament rquesiicDahiy possesses a legal
au horny TO regulate The trade Of Great Bi,ain aid all
heT col. MES. have locked every statute rela
irg these soooes from their .eiiiemen 10 IN ime
snd hnl every one founded on this Prinsple ill tie
snmp ae All before are calculated 70 resulas .raje,
end preserve or promote mutually bcne fetal intel
course between the parts Of this empire; and though
mSLy Of the IN imposed duties on trade yet hoss du-
nss w'rs always impoed with a design 20 restrain Ihe
eemme,cs OF on- part that ipjur0us - tho other
nnd niue 10 prcmo'e the general welfare" Farmers
Letters, No H. 1867.
must not here b. pa,sed over that .omc yery ie W
e"insn' Wings, rot more, bowevrr, han three o four
on the whole eou,intn', fur her shan ckiuson
festkin, and IN. colo is assemblies. Thomas JsGsr-
son was one Of tlcss, ADD amon the oly one in IN,
southern aud middle CO oDiss He md 'hs very fcw
who ihnughi @h him, i, advance Of ,htir times, de-
hIeo 70 Crest bfiisin like he powNr tax and The
power 10 regulate trade. Yet /, 10 rem.r able that
these patriots too used TIE very same words in The We.
~ same srn,e. Mr.. herson has odd ~, in bi, Me-.
MORE, that III mis- decnne hs wa able get any
one to agree wi h him, but M Wyhr. The other D.
riots ct Virginia, Randolph, the Lees, Nicholas PEN
d'e'on Gall OF wh:m were afterwards members OF the
wig ora 20, vsn'n' yptn NE federal csnsi'u'iop)
E9gaod h'd right TO res ala commerce. and 20 Law
duties fsr res' 'on" lie ssn.ures the Ihrase regu.
iduon vi commerce, ouN ne aFguer o. IL having
CURED h4id mesnpg, and ire udrg tie regulaing
by probbiory duiieS TGs worry d,euss,n aud # r.
ense OF option u't have sivtn sl gre alter serian
~ % the { rse OF The words conveying the Contested
power. Ia HE Instructions he VI gi,i
IN Congress in IVA he gives view Of IL ote acts Of
parli'm Mt for he ngulA ion, has been sfs .,edly
called, OF Ibe American trade" in which hs speaks
OF the duties they impose articles OF expor,
and In port, srd complains that Tie B h had rails
Ia ir Commodities to ~ e uh't OF what they sold ior
before such erclus privileges aud of VIVA, batter
nmod los OF the same kind would cost us else :"
Ii was but few days after the examination OF Dr.
Franklin, above quoted, that Lord Chatham, in one Of
ais most brilliant efforts of eloqueDce i'm Parliament adj
vered 10 the same distinction "There is a pain dis.
tncton between taxes levied for the purpose of raising
revenue, and duties imposed for the regulation of
trade for the accommodation of the subject although
some revenue might undoubtedly arise the latter"
This passage not only shews us the understanding Of
the great English statesman in the of these words
but, as his speech attracted much attention in America
was calculated to make the distinctive and precise use
OF this phrase current and general here had not be
already.
In l77i, when patient remonstrance was at length
weariea out, and the nation called for holder measures
the memorable Congress OF independence first assem-.
bIed. Amongst their very first acts, we find their
unanimous declaration and resolves claiming for the
colonies he free and exclusive power in all cases of
taxation and internal polcy;" but they add that from
the necessity OF the case erfuy consent TO the
operation OF such acts OF the British Parliament as
bona de restrained to the regulation of commerce for
the purpose OF securing the commercial ADVANTAGES of
the whole empire 10 the mother country, and the com
mercal benefits of its respective members excluding
every idea OF taxation for raising the sub
jects OF America without their consent-Io uruaLs oT
Congress, Oct Nth, l771
ln IT'S, when The capture OF General b reoype
had distpatd thoGs dreams Of ysioriss over tb
naked and undssPl ned rSbels with had at first filed
the imsg ions Of the Bri ish ministry, Lo,d Norb
introduced and carried through parliament his famous
"bill oil cOnoi ion" and that act not OILY orma
ly fomaulieaed to congress-, but was Circulate with
great industry throughout this continent, wi a view
TO sdes upon the op'e 1t attracted the more gene.
raj s,Ieu,f from the bCli and severe report upon i
10 Congress drawn up by Gouve neur Morris of Nav
Yo'k, w liam Henry Dayton OF Souih Carolina. and
tTsnci Dana Of Mas'a, huseus, which, having been
udanimousiy approved OF by Co g-ess, was publ,hed
and widely fused by their ordsr TIA, .t,iut.
(Sfd'ues at large Is George III) reses that IL i,
~sPdtn, 20 declare tina, The kGg and parliament OF
GIeal bH,sin Will lot impose any duiy lax for The
purpose ct raising areveDne On tho soobies, and a.
ter enaciDg to tie 'ams sf:s Lu1 dsu gui. he- "ex
cepi only such duties m>y b. expeci.nt 20 impoSe
for ,he reRuli.ion Of commerce."
The American report, while il rejects Tho poposi,ion
OF eonsilianoD and Submission, vi . ern seveIiIy i'm
PHI diy recognises the distinction taken in The Bi in
saiute. ~
IL would be easy for NE TO multiply au hories 10 this
point s0uid hi' volume with then; for in fact my
ehei labor has been TO reject ard sondense the ev
dencs from the mass OF materials beiors me- Bot I
could add nothing to the wes b, OF what have ALREADY
addused. The whole ,enor Of our colonial and royo.
iuioDd'y history proves tho truth Il Bukes asser,oo
10 his sPsteh on American taxation, I774 "Tba, r m
the act oil navigation the policy OF Great B ilaip To-
wards her ctl1DIes YVES purely commercial, and ,ba
commercial 'yrsm las wholly restrictive. 4, was he
syItem OF mono, oily.
For wtat sud these rssfric ions tLis noropo'v
by commercial gu'aon9 Surely fsr no oh r tbsn 10
Eeian The whole American for the manu- as,ur,
oil EGG nd aud tbe produce Of her eusar la,ds re-
bOm foreign ctmps ion. And this wa, what was
ctleiiy meant, and must have been ant lis pb,e.
OF Commercial regulation"
My mind therefore cannot resist the soDcIu,ior Ina,
we phra'ss "the Iay.os OF taxes and DpoIs for The