Page:Journal of the First Congress of the American Colonies (1765).djvu/41

 Ireland, nor any other of the subjects without the realm. But were it ever so clear, that the colonies might in law be reasonably represented in the honorable house of commons, yet we conceive that very good reasons, from inconvenience, from the principles of true policy, and from the spirit of the British constitution, may be adduced to shew, that it would be for the real interest of Great Britain, as well as her colonies, that the late regulations should be rescinded, and the several acts of parliament imposing duties and taxes on the colonies, and extending the jurisdiction of the courts' of admiralty here, beyond their ancient limits, should be repealed.

We shall not attempt a minute detail of all the reasons which the' wisdom of the honorable house may suggest, on this occasion, but would humbly submit the following particulars to their consideration:

That money is already very scarce in these colonies, and is still decreasing by the necessary exportation of specio from the continent for the discharging of our debts to British merchants; that an immensely heavy debt is yet due from the colonists for 'British manufactures, and that they are still heavily burdened with 'taxes to discharge the arr ear ages due for aids granted by them in the late war; that the balance of trade will ever be much against the colonies,  in favor off Great Britain, whilst we consume her manufactures; the demand of which must ever increase in proportion to the number of inhabitants settled here, with the means of purchasing them We, therefore, humbly conceive it to be the interest of Great Britain to increase rather than diminish those means, as the protit of all the trade of the colonies ultimately centre there to pay for her manufactures, as we are not allowed to purchase elsewhere, and by the consumption of which at the advanced prices the British taxes oblige the makers and venders to set on them, we