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320 other on that part, and after much time spent in Enquiry, various observations & remarks, he saying to them as follows, You will be pleased, laying aside all consideration of past Services on your Part or on ours, they have both been very great, to consider what is ye present state of things; there is an immense national Debt, not less than one hundred & forty Millions Lying heavy on this Nation, for which an annual interest is paid; by the best informations we can get the whole of the publick Debt now in arrear of all the Colonies together is about Eight Hundred Thousand pounds. The Civil Establishment here for the Support of Government is Eight hundred thousand pounds a Year—that of all the Colonies together we find to be about forty thousand pounds pr. annum only. You say you are comparatively poor to what we are; tis difficult measuring this point, but however opulent some in these Kingdoms are tis well known the many can but just live. The Military & naval Establishment here is immense, but without considering that, the amount of the Expence of the Army now placed in America & which is thought quite Necessary, as well on Account of the troubles with the Indians as for general defence against other nations & the like in so Extensive a Country, is upwards of three hundred thousand pounds a Year. We shall be glad to find that the Stamp Duty now laying on America shall amount to forty or fifty thousand pounds, & that all the Duties together, the post Office & those laid upon Molasses & other ways shall amount to one hundred thousand pounds a Year, so that there will not only not be any money brought away from America by means of these Duties, but there will be a ballance of more than two hundred thousand pounds sent over every year from England to be spent in America. You say the Colonies think they can, & that they are willing to do something in the Common Cause;—is this too much? we think it is not, but if on trial we find it is, we will certainly lessen it. As to our Authority to lay these Duties or taxes—to us tis so clear a point that to be sure we dont care to have a Question made of it. And dont you yourselves even want to have us Exercise this Authority in your turn? dont some of you Complain, & perhaps very justly,