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Act for granting and applying certain Stamp Duties, and other Duties in the British Colonies and Plantations in America," &c.,* by which the Merchants trading to North America, and the Artificers employed in the various Manufactures consumed in those countries were subjected to many hardships.
That in the following year the said Act was repealed, under an express declaration of the Legislature, that "the continuance of the said Act would be attended with many inconveniences, and might be productive of consequences greatly detrimental to the commercial interests of these Kingdoms;" † upon which repeal the trade to the British Colonies immediately resumed its former flourishing state.
That in the year 1767 an Act passed, entituled "An Act for granting certain Duties in the British Colonies and Plantations in America;"‡ which imposed Certain Duties to be paid in America on Tea, Glass, Red and White Lead, Painters' Colours, Paper, Pasteboard, Millboard, and Scaleboard; when the commerce with the Colonies were again interrupted.
That in the year 1770, such parts of the said Act as imposed Duties on Glass, Red and White Lead, Painters' Colours, Paper, Pasteboard, Millboard, and Scaleboard, were repealed, § when the trade to America soon revived, except in the article of Tea, on which a Duty was continued to be demanded on its importation into America, whereby that branch of our commerce was nearly lost.
That in the year 1773, an Act passed, entitled "An Act to allow a drawback of Duties of Customs on the exportation of Tea to his Majesty's Colonies or Plantations in America, and to empower the Commissioners of the Treasury to grant Licenses to the East India Company to export Tea, duty free," &c.||
By the operation of these and other laws the minds of his Majesty's subjects in the British Colonies have been greatly disquieted; a total stop is now put to the export trade with, the greatest and most important part of North America; the publick revenue is threatened with a large and fatal diminution; your Petitioners with grievous distress, and thousands of industrious Artificers and Manufacturers with utter ruin. Under these alarming circumstances, your Petitioners receive no small comfort from a persuasion that the Representatives of the people, newly delegated to the most important of all trusts, will take the whole of these weighty matters into their most serious consideration; and your Petitioners humbly crave this Honourable House that they will enter into a full and immediate examination of that system of commercial policy which was formerly adopted and uniformly maintained, to the happiness and advantage of both countries, and will apply such healing remedies as can alone restore and establish the commerce between Great Britain and her Colonies on a permanent foundation.
And your Petitioners also humbly pray that they may be heard, by themselves or Agents, in support of this Petition.
Mr. Alderman Hayley expressed his wishes for a speedy reconciliation with America, and moved "That the said Petition be referred to the consideration of the Committee of the Whole House, to whom it is referred to consider of the several Papers which were presented to the House by the Lord North, upon Thursday last, by his Majesty's command, and that the Petitioners be admitted to be heard, by themselves or Agents, before the said Committee, upon the said Petition, if they think fit."
Sir W. Meredith said, that as the worthy Alderman, whose rank stands so high, and whose character is so honourably distinguished in the list of Merchants, had expressed his wishes not only for a reconciliation, but for a speedy reconciliation with America, he submitted to his judgment whether a speedy reconciliation was practicable or consistent with such a length of inquiry as his motion led to; that of all the evils American Merchants now suffer, suspense is the greatest; that he trusted the Committee already appointed would make the removal of that suspense the first object of their consideration and their care; at least, he hoped that the hands of Government might not be tied up, nor the powers of Parliament restrained from, giving that speedy relief which the pressure of affairs requires; that there is still some hope left, that the flames in America may be quenched, if proper and effectual means are speedily applied; but the task will every hour become more and more difficult, and if protracted to the long period, which the proposed inquiry may lead to, impracticable. He should be very sorry to take upon himself the consequences of exposing the situations of private Merchants to publick view, especially at this juncture; but, if they really desired an inquiry into their affairs, he himself would give his time, his labour, and every possible assistance to it; but hoped such an inquiry might not be made use of to defeat every good intention, and clog every salutary measure that might be proposed in the present Committee; he should therefore recommend it to the House to appoint a separate Committee for the consideration of the Merchants' Petition, and for that purpose move an amendment, to leave out, between the word "of" and the word "Committee," the word "the," and insert "a" instead thereof; and to leave out the words "to whom it is referred to consider of the several Papers which were presented to the House by the Lord North, upon Thurs day last, by his Majesty's command."
Mr. Burke was glad to hear the right honourable gentleman talk of a speedy reconciliation, and therefore must conclude that the price of his bargain with the Minister when he went over to his party, was a speedy reconciliation; yet, at the same time, he was sorry to see how knavish the noble Lord had been, for instead of putting into his hand the reconciliatory measures, he had slipped into his hand a wand, which wand was now become one of the main pillars of Administration. He proceeded to shew how materially the trade and commerce with America ought to be considered before any decisive steps were taken, and declared himself totally ignorant that the Committee appointed for the 26th, were to take into consideration the papers only which lay on the table; he insisted that every information possible would add to the despatch, and not to the delay of a reconciliation; that as the noble Lord (North) had denied them the opinions of persons on the spot, the Committee could not receive more material information than from the Merchants trading thither, who were greatly interested in the welfare of the Colonies; that if there was not time sufficient to settle the American business, was not the noble Lord in fault in adjourning a month to eat mince-pies and drink Christmas ale, when so material a question was depending? He called the proposed Committee a Coventry Committee, in allusion to a well known practice by which a troublesome person is voted to be sent to Coventry, whereby, without turning him out of company, he is wholly excluded from all attention; he may be ridiculed and laughed at, and cannot interfere in his own defence. He also called it a Committee of Oblivion, consigning every thing the Merchants could allege to entire oblivion. He congratulated the Minister on such a friend as Sir William; the Merchants on such an able and powerful advocate; the Cabinet on such a Counsellor; the right honourable gentleman himself on such a patron; and the King and Parliament on the happiness of having so respectable a person in a situation to reciprocally impart the desires and wishes of either party to each other. He prophesied the most salutary effects from so happy a beginning. He compared the right honourable gentleman to Sampson, and the Ministers, and the friends of the Declaratory Act, and all the Revenue Acts, to the Philistines; and supposed himself to be involved in the ruin which must follow from pulling down the pillars which had supported the system, of destructive policy and oppression, which the right honourable gentleman contended ought to have been resisted. In a word, he turned, twisted, metamorphosed, and represented every thing which the right honourable gentleman had advanced into so many ridiculous forms, that the House was kept in a continued roar of laughter.
Sir Gilbert Elliot replied to Mr. Burke, and ironically complimented him; but begged leave to differ from him as to the matter in debate. He observed, that the Committee appointed for the 26th was intended to consider of the papers, in order to come to some speedy resolution suited to the dignity of Parliament, and the present situation of affairs in America; that the great variety of facts, and mass of matter which would come of course under consideration in the Committee to which the Petition must be referred,
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