Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-10-11
For the Portage Sentinel
Taxation Ante-revOlutionary times and
TarifS,

For the Portage Sentinel.
Taxation Ante-revoIutionary times and
Tariffs
At the head If the British bud get in l764 |
was placed George Grenville, an honest |
statesman, of great political knowledge and
indefatigable application. The deficiency
ard arrangement Ct the fnancies occupied
his first attention. As one mode of relief
he concluded upon proposing to. parliament
plan for taxing the colonies of America,
and on the 10th of March introduced Sc
ries of resolutions, asserting the right and
expediency of the measure, and specifying
a stamp-duty, as the most eligible mode of
compelling America to contribute to the
general exigencies of the empire.
The resolutions passed without any op-
position at home, but raised violent fer
ment among the people upon whom they
were intended to operate.
Fools! they could not see, as some of their
descendants thought they saw in 1910,
that the taxes would have to be paid really
by G. Britain herself. But they lived in a
day of less light and knowledge; ard are
excusable.
In FEBRUARY '65 the Stamp act was
passed. As soon as the news reached Vir-
ginia, Patrick Henry in fit of passion
thoug ht that "George III had better profit
by the example of Caesar, and Oh aries
L." He was verysfoolish to get so wrathy,
and threaten his King with such d;ath,
since the stamped papers would not only not
cost him any more, but actually come cheap
er than before!
Boston too committed great many i'm
prophecies, and some outrages. The peo-
pie hung Mr.. Oliver, the stamp-master in
efigy, and forced him to resign, demolished
his house, and the residences of the deputy
registrar, and comptroller of customs; and
It finally that cf the Governor of the colony
"strewing the streets with plate, rings, mon.
;. ev, and other valuable articles" Such
J! things, so dsgraceful to the American name
5 would never have happened, had our ances
tors possessed but small part Of the wis
!, dom and sagacity of 1910. And Barrie
and Pitt, would not have been applauded
. so loudly by them, for the mistake they
committed in supposing that the stamp-ac
N would ssdrain the colonies" aad that
would be burden. The study Of politica
u economy was then but little understood
'g and men had not then read the page wher
NJ it said ssthat the manufacturer ultimately
paid the Duty" page which Walter For
10 ward made great use of in Aurora SOM
,r few years since, and which is said to have
IT, been found hid, and mixed up with th'
copper plates from which Joe Smith ira as
y lated the Mormon Bible.
y But Grenvill's act bccame unpopular a
. home, and was repealed, and general re
ioicing filled the colonies. Grenville him
Of self was dismissed from the Ministry, an
Pitt, the s:friend of America became tn
ic nominal head of new cabinet, Charlie
" Townsend however took almost the entir'
control of public measures into his owl
Al hands and by his bri!liancy and eloquence
II possessed an almost uab,unded power owe
cs cs the House of Commons. While NJ. Pit
n. was confined to his bed by sickness in Is
Is bill was introduced and passed, imposing
n- duty on tea, glass, and painting colors, ex
: ported from England to America-also al
other providing for resident commissioner
of customs in all the colonies, and guardin
{ against smugglers.
'e History records all the insane acts an
=. doings of the Amsricaa rebels whea thes
"' measures of the British government reache
their ears. john Hancock, man of grea
i wealth and daring, was the owner of a yes
sci lying in Boston harbor loaded with wine
from Medira. The custom-house officer O
boarding her, was shut up in the cabin, an
the cargo landed during the next nigh
In consequence, as soon as the functlonar
was set at liberty, he seized and condemne'
the vessel. The people then made di
= turbance, burnt the custom house, and CON
PEELED the commissioners to flee for safet
"a on board ship of war. This was shortl
followed by the @Boston massacre" F" and nc
% long after by the famous "tea" affair.
~ But Daniel Webster had not then bee
- heard of; and the people of Massachuse,t
~ had not been taught how to recover bac
part of the price of any article they ha
paid for and consumed-nor had they bee
instructed in many other contrivanees, an
devices with which toryism. federalism, ant
whiggery has been extremely fertile in m OF
: mordern times. Had they reasoned like tn
;, Wings Of 1910 the American Revolutio
might of have been avoided.
Yours V.