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THE

LATE REGULATIONS

RESPECTING THE

BRITISH COLONIES ON THE CONTINENT OF AMERICA,

CONSIDERED,

In a letter from a gentleman in Philadelphia, to his friend in London.

Prosunt minus recte excogitata; cum alios incitent saltem ad veritatis investigationem.

FULB. A BARTOL.

PRINTED AT PHILADELPHIA, 1765.

THE

LATE REGULATIONS

RESPECTING THE

BRITISH COLONIES,

CONSIDERED.

SIR,

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 bere, 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 advantageous, 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.

"that not more than

Sir JOSIAH CHILD says, in another part of his work, 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 colonics, 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 colonies, and that they really are a source of treasure and naval

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