Page:Emancipate your colonies!.djvu/36

( 29 ) the credit of this grievance: you get occasional dearth: you get the loss you are at by the armaments you keep up against smuggling: you get the expence of prosecution, and the waste and misery attendant upon fine and confiscation.

Oh, but the duties upon the Colony trade produce revenue to us. I dare say they do, and what then? Must you govern a country in order to tax your trade with it? Is there that country that does not produce revenue to you? You tax your trade with Britain, don't you? and do you govern Britain? you tax British goods as high as smuggling will permit: could you tax them higher if they came from the Colonies? Would you if you could? would you tax your own subjects higher than you would strangers?

I will shew you how you may get revenue out of them: I will shew you the way, and the only way in which, if you choose iniquity, you may make it profitable. Tax none of their produce, tax none of your imports from them; of all such taxes every penny is paid by yourselves. Tax your exports to them: tax all your exports to them: tax them as high as smuggling will admit: of