The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-01-23

Unable to Collect Customs In the Coz"
onlcs, Parliament Takes a Step Fur
ther and Resolves TO Secure Them
ForcbIy--the Move Met by Universal
Indignation and Tesistancc-The Pas
sage OF the Famous Stamp Act Fur
thcr incentive 10 Protest and Practical
Defiance.
Copyright. 1895, By Harper & Brothers,
Al rights ?cscTycd)
(Copygigh;. 1919, by the Mcclure News
, paper Synd!cate.)
r0IIE acts OF trade practically for
bade direct commerce with for
eign countries Or their depen
Il denotes especially IN foreign
bottoms. but ships from France.
Spain and the Canary Isles came and
vert very freely notwithstand,iin!g, IN
colonial DoT;s: for royal officials liked 30
| enjoy a comfortable peace and the
esteem O, their nciehbors. and very
geniaily winked at such trangress;ons.
Cargoes without number were sent 20
| the Dutch and Spanish West Indies every
year, and as many brought thence, which
We're undoubtedly forfeit under the navl-
CATION laws parliament had been at such
pains 10 elaborate and enforce; and pri-
watering as well as smuggling had for
long afforded the doughty sean1en os Bos-
! ton. Salem, Cha rleston and New York
\
INDULGE IN ILLEGAL TRADE.
where business went brisltly the people
o. the colonial ports demanded as OF
Hgnt, "a full freedom OF illegal trade,
| and broke sometimes iuto riot when II
| Letter had been known very courteous
| ly TO mourn the death OF a worthy coll
lector of his najesty's customs because
used to take "pIessur in directing mas,
| ters OF vessels how they ought to avoid
the breach Of the acts Of trade
| Sea captains grew accustomed to very
consiEnees. and knew very we'll. with
out official counsel how to take the ad.
vice mot TO declare at the custom house =
daily with all parties to the under
standing
In 17e1 that understanding vas Of
a-sudden rude!y broken and the trouble
| began, which Grenyille had the folly to
add 10. The board OF trade determined
to collect the duties on sugar. mola sses
and rum, so long nd so systematically
evaded In the trade between New Eng
land and the West Indies. az whatever
cost OF suit and scrutiny. and directed
| their agents In Boston to demand Wits
o. assistance" from the courts giving VIZ ns:
would In search OF snluggled goods.
CoLoNIsTS RESIST SEARCH WAR
| There were instant evaporation and
\ resistance. General search warrants,
opening every mans door TO the otil-
GERS OF the law. With or without lust
| and explicit ground OF suspicion against
him. no English subject anywhere would
submit to; and yet these writs authorized
nothing less.
| Issued under a questionable extension
| to America OF an exceptional power OF
! the court or eXcheouer, they Violated
every precedent of the common law. no
lese than every principle of prudent ad-
| mini nistration. and the excitement which
| they provoked was at once deep and ON
| nous. Sharp resistance was made in the
| courts and no officer ever Nentured 10
| serve one Of the obnoxious writs. Such
challenge OF the process was uttered by
| colonial counsel upon trial Of the right,
moreover. that ministers would be with
out excuse should they ignore the warn
Ing, explicit and 60 eloquent OF teEo-
lutlonary purpose.
WARNED BY A CoLoNIST.
II was James Otis who uttered it,
| He mad but the other day carried the
| royal commission In his pocket as aa
vocste general in his majesty,s court OF
| admiralty; but he would not have scru-
pied, even ss his majestys servant he
| said to oppose the exercise OF a. power
\ which had already cost one King hls
| head and another his throne. To oppose
! In such a Gaze was to defend the very
| constitution under which the King wore
his crown. That constitution secured to
| EngIisnrnen everywhere the rights ol lIee-
men; the coonists had besides. the plain
| guarantees Of their own charters; II con
| stitution and charters failed. or, were
| ga lnsaid the principles Of natural rea-
| son sufficed for defense against measures
| so arrogant and 80 futile. No lawyer
could Justify these eXtraordinary "rits
| no lcing with an army at his back could
| ever force them TO execution.
| Protest not only, but defiance. rang
| worry clear In these fearless words and
| ninleters must aYow themselves very
| ignorant, should they pretend they DID
moi know how Mr.. Otis had kindled fire
from one end of the colonies TO the other;
| Rut Greuville was regolute 10 take all
risks and push his policy.
THE OBNOXIOUS STAMP ACT.
He did not Finch from the enforce
,nent Of the measures OF 1864, and in the
| session of 1865 calmly fulfilled his prom
| ise OF further taxation. He proposed
| that the coiopIstg should he required TO
1use revenue stamps upon all thelr COM
| n1erciaI paper legal documents pamph-
lets and newspapers: and That "A, once as
a general measure of convenience and q
| .sliJtary exhibition OF authority. his
| ma aIesty's troops stationed In the planta =
tIons should be bileted on the people
| Parliament readily acquiesced, IT was
thus Grenville purposod 'defrayiug tho
| expenses of defending, protecting and Sc
| curing the colonies; but he came near
losing them instead.
| The act was passed in March il was
not TO go into effect until November, but
the colonists did not keep him waiting
uUtU November for their protests. II was
| fhe voice OF n veritAble tempest that
| presently came over sea to the ear of
the startled minister. And It was not