1 XIV. pence of a little ink and parchment. They had not BOOK only a respect, but affection, for Great Britain, for its laws, its customs, manners, and even fa- 1766. shions; and to be a native of Old England, was itself a sort of claim and title to distinction among them."-In his attempts to force his wretched innovations upon America, Mr. Grenville must surely have been actuated by the very demon of folly! The repeal was carried by 275 to 167 voices. Amongst the signatures affixed to the protest against the bill of repeal in the house of peers, it must excite a sigh to see such names as Bedford, Temple, and Lyttelton. The joy of America was extreme at the intelligence of this repeal; and the mere declaration of an abstract right, which they imagined to be, with respect to the claim of taxation, in fact relinquished, and which seemed chiefly intended as a salvo for the honor of parliament, gave them, as the sage Franklin had predicted, little apprehension or uneasiness; and it was not till after an interval of several years, when the colonies had been harassed and wearied out by a long series of vexations and encroachments on their established privileges, that the assembly of Massachusetts at length, by a formal resolution, voted the declaratory act to be a grievance. The mere assertion of the claim, though harshly expressed, would have excited no serious discon BOOK tent, had the authority of Great Britain been XIV. exercised in the old constitutional and regular 1766. mode: and the council of the Massachusetts, with a degree of wisdom which it would have been happy if the parliament of Great Britain had deigned to imitate, say in their excellent answer to the bold political dogmas advanced in a studied speech by the governor : "If, from the nature and end of government, the supreme authority of government must be limited, the supreme authority of parliament must be limited; and the inquiry will be, what are the limits of that authority with regard to this colony ? Το fix this with precision, to determine the exact lines of right and wrong in this case, as in some others, is difficult, and we have not the presumption to attempt it. Exclusive of the merit of carrying into execution, in contempt of the reproaches and clamors of the late rash and blundering ministers, this wise and conciliatory measure, the present administration, in the general tenor of their conduct, acted in a manner which reflected the highest credit on their integrity and understanding. The declaratory act, however theoretically disputable, served to display their solicitude to sustain the honor of the nation; which was made farther apparent by an act passed under their patronage, requiring compensation to be made by the American assemblies to those who BOOK Χιν. 1 * The act repealing the stamp act, when transmitted to America, was accompanied by a circular letter to the governors of the several provinces, by Mr. secretary Conway, written in that firm and temperate style which was at once calculated to maintain the honor of government, and to appease the discontents and apprehensions of the people. In a very important separate dispatch to sir Francis Bernard, governor of the Massachusetts, this minister says: Nothing will tend more effectually to every conciliating purpose, and there is nothing therefore I have in command more earnestly to require of you, than that you should exert yourself in recommending it strongly to the assembly, that full and ample compensation be made to those who, from the madness of the people, have suffered for their deference to the acts of the British legislature." Notwithstanding the moderation which now pervaded the English councils, and which dictated the dispatch received by the governor, it is very remarkable that the speech by which sir Francis Bernard opened the next general court of the Massachusetts, June 1766, breathes the spirit of haughtiness, irritation, and discord. He declares the justice and humanity of this requisition to be so forcible that it cannot be controverted. The authority by which it is introduced, should preclude all disputations about complying with it." In a tone of reproach he adds: "Both the business and the time are most critical. Let me entreat you to recollect yourselves, and consider well what you are about. Shall the private interests, passions, or resentments of a few men, deprive this whole people of the great and manifold advantages which the favor and indulgence of their sovereign and his parliament are now providing for them? Surely, after his ma BOOK was, in the course of the session, as to its most obnoxious clauses, and so far as its operation 1766. extended to private individuals, repealed. The modified, oppressive and justly unpopular duty on windows was modified and mitigated. General declared il-warrants were, by a resolution of the house of Beneficial commons, declared illegal-various useful and et trade, important regulations made in the West India XIV. Cider tax General warrants legal. regulations jesty's COMMANDS are known, the very persons who have created the prejudices and prepossessions I now endeavour to combat, will be the first to remove them." It did not appear, by their subsequent conduct, that the assembly were at all disposed to resist the recommendation enjoined in the letter of the se0FG= tary, which, in their reply to the governor, they declare their resolution to embrace the first convenient opportunity to consider and act upon, But, highly offended at the general strain and tenor of the governor's speech, they add, "In the mean time we cannot but observe, that it is conceived in much higher and stronger terms in the speech than in the letter. Whether in thus exceeding, your excellency speaks from your own authority or a HIGHER, is not with us to determine, If this reco mendation, which your excellency terms a requisition, be founded on so much justice and humanity that it cannot be contros verted; if the authority with which it is introduced should preclude all disputation about complying with it; we should be glad to know what freedom we have in the ease? With regard to the rest of your excellency's speech, we are con strained to observe, that the general air and style of it savors much more of an act of free grace and pardon, than of a parlia mentary address to the two houses of assembly, and we most sincerely wish your excellency had been pleased to reserve it, if needful, for a proclamation" XIV. and American trade, and the many absurd and BOOK pernicious restraints imposed by the former ministry removed. Mr. Grenville, by the intro- 1766. duction of certain new and onerous clauses into the hovering act, and rigorously enforcing the execution of them; by stationing a long and for midable line of ships of war off the American coasts, had, as has been already intimated, in a great degree succeeded in his project of destroying the contraband trade from time immemorial carried on between the British colonies and the Spanish main, and which was in fact equally conducive to the prosperity, if not essential to the existence, of both. So opposite were the commercial politics of this weak and opinionated minister to those of his predecessor sir Robert Walpole, who, on being urged to adopt measures to the same effect, replied, "that he should think himself ill employed in such an attempt; for he was certain, that if America gained 500,000l. by this traffic, 250,0001. of it would find its way to England." commerce A new and beneficial treaty of commerce was Treaty of also concluded with Russia; the long-contested with us affair of the Canada bills settled to the satisfac-sia. tion of the holders; and strong and effectual remonstrances made to the French court for the more complete demolition of the harbour and fortifications of Dunkirk. Notwithstanding, |