THE

LATE REGULATIONS

RESPECTING THE

BRITISH COLONIES,

CONSIDERED.

Ś IR,

WHEN I last wrote to you and said, “ that the "late measures respecting America, would not only be extremely injurious to the colonies, but "also to Great-Britain," I little thought I was entering into an engagement, which would oblige me to exceed the usual limits of a letter: but since you desire to have at large the reasons in support of this opinion, and I always think it my duty to comply with your requests, I will endeavour in the clearest manner I can, to lay my sentiments before

you.

THE American continental colonies are inhabited by persons of small fortunes, who are so closely employed in subduing a wild country, for their subsistence, and who would labour under such difficulties in contending with old and populous countries, which must exceed them in workmanship and cheapness, that they have not time nor any temptation to apply themselves to manufactures.

HENCE arises the *importance of the colonies to Great-Britain. Her prosperity depends on her commerce; her commerce on her manufactures;

* It has been said in the house of commons, when complaints have been made of the decay of trade to any part of Europe, “ that such things were not worth regard, as Great-Britain was possest of colonies that could consume more of her manufactures than she was able to supply them with."

"As the case now stands, we shall shew that the plantations are a spring of wealth to this nation, that they work for us, that their treasure centers all here, and that the laws have tied them fast enough to us; so that it must be through our own fault and mismanagement, if they become independent of England.” DAVENANT on the plantation trade.

"It is better that the islands should be supplied from the northern colonies than from England, for this reason; the provisions we might send to Barbadoes, Jamaica, &c. would be unimproved product of the earth, as grain of all kinds, or such product where there is little got by the improvement, as malt, salt, beef and pork; indeed, the exportation of salt fish thither would be more aďvantageous, but the goods which we send to the northern colonies, are such, whose improvement may be justly said one with another, to be near four-fifths of the value of the whole commodity, as apparel, houshold-furniture, and many other things." Idem.

her manufactures on the markets for them; and the most constant and advantageous markets are

"New-England is the most prejudicial plantation to the kingdom of England; and yet, to do right to that most industrious English colony, I must confess, that though we lose by their unlimited trade with other foreign plantations, yet we are very great gainers by their direct trade to and from old England. Our yearly exportations of English manufactures, malt and other goods, from hence thither, amounting, in my opinion, to ten times the value of what is imported from thence; which calculation I do not make at random, but upon mature consideration, and, peradventure, upon as much experience in this very trade, as any other person will pretend to; and therefore, whenever reformation of our correspondency in trade with that people shall be thought on, it will, in my poor judgment, require GREAT TENDERNESS, AND VERY SERIOUS CIRCUMSPECTION."

Sir JOSIAH CHILD's discourse on trade.

"Our plantations spend mostly our English manufactures, and those of all sorts almost imaginable, in egregious quantities, and employ near two-thirds of all our English shipping; so that we have more people in England, by reason of our plantations in America.” Idem.

Sir JOSIAH CHILD says, in another part of his work, " that not more than fifty families are maintained in England by the refining of sugar." From whence, and from what Davenant says, it is plain, that the advantages here said to be derived from the plantations by England, must be meant chiefly of the continental colonies. See notes to page 59 and 60.

"I shall sum up my whole remarks on our American colonies, with this observation, that as they are a certain annual revenue of several millions sterling to their mother country, they ought carefully to be protected, duly encouraged, and every opportunity that presents, improved for their increment and advantage, as every one they can possibly reap, must at last return to us with interest." BEAWES'S Lex merc. red.

"We may safely advance, that our trade and navigation are greatly increased by our colonics, and that they really are a source of treasure and naval

afforded by the colonies, as in all others the rest ef Europe interferes with her, and various accidents may interrupt them. The benefit from hence is at present immense; but in future times when America shall be more fully peopled, must exceed with prudent management the warmest wishes of a British patriot.

OUR chief productions are provisions, naval stores, furs, iron and lumber. A few colonies yield tobacco and indigo. Some of these commodities are necessary to Great-Britain; but all that she requires are vastly insufficient to pay for her manufactures which we want. The productions of some of the southern colonies may perhaps be equal to their demands, but the case is widely dif

power to this kingdom, since they work for us, and their treasure centers bere. Before their settlement, our manufactures were few, and those but indifferent ; the number of English merchants very small, and the whole shipping of the nation much inferior to what now belongs to the northern colonies only. These are certain facts. But since their establishment, our condition has altered for the better, almost to a degree beyond credibility.-Our MANUFACTURES are prodigiously increased, chiefly by the demand for them in the plantations, where they AT LEAST TAKE OFF ONE HALF, and supply us with many valu able commodities for exportation, which is as great an emolument to the mother kingdom, as to the plantations themselves."

POSTLETHWAYT's univ. dict. of trade and commerce.

"Most of the nations of Europe have interfered with us, more or less, in divers of our staple manufactures, within half a century, not only in our woollen, but in our lead and tin manufactures, as well as our fisheries."

POSTLETHWAYT, ibid.