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quent periods, was by his successors granted, from the 48th to the 29th degree of north latitude, and in extent, from the Atlantic to the South-Sea:

Under these various grants, at different periods, the North-American Colonies were settled, and principally from the enterprise of individuals.

The Colonies, thus settled by emigrations from Europe, were considered as a part, or rather an appendage of the nation, from which they originated, and under whose patronage they were settled. But a new kind of policy, which has been called a colonial policy, was adopted respecting them, by all the European nations; a policy, which had for its object, the particular interest and prosperity of the parent country, without much regard to the interest and prosperity of the Colonies themselves. The trade and commerce of the Colonies was generally confined to the parent country. The right of trading with their Colonies was, by some of the European nations, granted exclusively to particular companies. By others, the colonial trade was limited to particular ports, and afterwards to particular ships, called registered ships. The policy of Great-Britan, though generally more liberal than any other European nation, has always been, to secure to herself the carriage of the produce of her Colonies, to monopolize their raw materials, and to furnish the Colonists, with all the manufactures or other imported articles they consume. Lord Sheffield, in his "Observations or American commerce" says, "the only use and advantage of American Colonies, or West-India islands, is the monopoly of their consumption, and the carriage of their produce." In pursuance of this policy, as early as 1660, in the celebrated act of Parliament, entitled "An Act for the encouraging and increasing of shipping and navigation," it is enacted (Chap. 18,) "That from and after the 1st day of April 1661, 66 no sugars, tobacco, cotton-wool, indigo, ginger, fustick, or other dying woods, of the growth, produce, or manufacture of any English Plantations in America, Asia, or Africa, shall be shipped, carried, conveyed, or transported from any of the said English Plantations, to any land, island, territory, dominion, port or place whatsoever, other than to such other English Plantations as do belong to his Majesty, his heirs and successors, or to the Kingdom of England or Ireland, or Principality

of Wales, or town of Berwick upon Tweed, there to be laid on shore, under the penalty of the forfeiture of the said goods, or the full value thereof, as also of the ship, with all her guns, tackle, apparel." &c.— And all vessels sailing to the Plantations, are to give bonds, to bring said commodities to England.

In 1663, another act of Parliament prohibited the importation, into any of the English Colonies, in Asia, Africa, or America, of any commodities of the growth, production, or manufacture of Europe, except they were laden or shipped in England, Wales, or the town of Berwick upon Tweed, and in English built shipping, or which were bought before the first day of October, 1662, &c. and which were to be carried directly to the said Colcnies, &c. with an exception of "salt for the fisheries, wines from Madeira and Azores, and all sorts of victuals from Scotland and Ireland."*—The British Colonies, therefore, by this act could obtain no European goods, but through the ports in England. A drawback of the duties, however, was generally allowed on the exportation of those goods to the Colonies.

Before the Independence of the United States, and subsequent to

the year 1766, the trade of the British Colonies, as to their exports, was limited to the parent country, to that part of Europe, which lies south of Cape Finisterre, to certain parts of Africa, and to the West-Indies. Many of the most valuable articles of colonial produce were confined to the market of the parent country-To those enumerated in the act of navigation before recited, many others were, afterwards, at different

* The preamble to this act (15 Charles II.) shews the policy which then prevailed in Europe, respecting distant Colonies. It is in the following words." And in regard his Majesty's Plantations beyond the seas, are inhabited and peopled by his subjects of this his Kingdom of England, for the maintaining a greater correspondence and kindness between them, and keeping them in a firmer dependence upon it, and rendering them yet more beneficial and advantageous unto it, in the further employment and increase of English shipping and seamen, vent of English woolens, and other manufactures and commodities, rendering the navigation to and from the same more safe and cheap, and making this Kingdom a staple, not only of the commodities of these plantations, but also of the commodities of other countries and places for the supplying of them, and it being the usage of other nations, to keep their plantation trade to themselves, Be it Enacted," &c.

periods, added, such as molasses, tar, pitch, turpentine, hemp, masts, yards, copper ore, pig and bar iron, pot and pearl ashes, beaver skins, whale fins, hides, &c. Rice and lumber were once among the enumerated commodities, as those were called, which could only be shipped to Great-Britain. They were afterwards however permitted to be carried to that part of Europe, lying south of Cape Finisterre. The non enumerated commodities, as those were called, which were not confined to the market of Great-Britain, could originally be shipped to any part of the world; but by the 6th of George III. (1766) were limited, in the same manner as rice and lumber, to the part of Europe south of Cape Finisterre.

The Colonies sent to Africa, New-England rum, and such articles as were necessary for the purchase of slaves. The trade of the Colonies, and particularly the northern Colonies, to the West-India islands, was, from their first settlement, of great importance. They sent their fish, grain, and other provisions, lumber, &c. to the foreign West-India islands, as well as to the British; and received, in return, rum, sugar, coffee, salt, molasses, and such other articles as were permitted to be brought from them. This trade with the foreign West-India islands was always considered, by the Colonists, as highly advantageous, but was viewed by the British merchants, and the West-India planters, with no small degree of jealousy. As the population of the Colonies increased, this trade also increased; and the superior fertility of some of the foreign West-India islands gave them great advantages over the British planter. With the increase of wealth and population, the Colonists began also to introduce sundry manufactures, for their own consumption, such as woolen and linen cloths, iron, hats, paper, &c. This excited the jealousy of the British manufacturer, and various complaints were made to the Lords Commissioners of trade and Plantations, and to Parliament, by the merchants, Planters, and manufacturers, that the Colonists were carrying on trades, and setting up manufactures injurious to them, and to the interest of the parent country. In consequence of these complaints, the British house of Commons, in 1731, directed the Board of trade and Plantations, to make a report "with respect to laws made, manufactures set up, or trade carried on in the Colonies, detrimental to the trade, navigation, or manufactures of Great-Britain."

In pursuance of this order, the Board of trade, on the 15th of Feb. 1731-2 made a report, which, as it contains a statement relative to the trade and manufactures of the Colonies, at that period, is here inserted. They say "The following complaints have been lately made to this Board, against some plantation laws, viz. in Massachusetts Bay, an act was made to encourage the manufacture of paper, which law interferes with the profit made by the British merchants on foreign paper sent thither.

"In New-England, New-York, Connecticut, Rhode-Island, Pennsylvania, and in the county of Somerset in Maryland, they have fallen into the manufacture of woolen cloth and linen cloth, for the use of their own families only; for the product of these Colonies being chiefly cattle and grain, the estates of the inhabitants depended wholly on farming, which could not be managed, without a certain quantity of sheep; and their wool would be entirely lost, were not their servants employed during winter, in manufacturing it, for the use of their families.

"Flax and hemp being likewise easily raised, the inhabitants manufactured them into coarse sort of cloth, bags, traces, and halters for their horses, which they found did more service, than those they had from any part of Europe.

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However, the high price of labour in general in America, rendered it impracticable for people there to manufacture their linen cloth at less than 20 per cent. more than the rate in England, or woolen cloth at less than 50 per cent. dearer, than that, which is exported from home for sale. It were to be wished, that some expedient might be fallen upon, to direct their thoughts from undertakings of this nature; so much the rather, because these manufactures, in process of time, may be carried on, in a greater degree, unless an early stop be put to their progress by employing them in naval stores. Wherefore, we take leave to renew our repeated proposals, that reasonable encouragement be given to the same. Moreover, we find that certain trades carried on, and manufactures set up there, are detrimental to the trade, navigation, and manufactures of Great-Britain. For the state of these Plantations varying almost every year, more or less, in their trade and manufactures, as well as in other particulars, we thought it necessary for his Majesty's service, and for the discharge

of our trust, from time to time, to send general queries to the several Governours in America, that we might be the more exactly informed of the condition of the Plantations, among which there were several, that related to their trade and manufactures, to which we received the following returns viz.: The Governour of New-Hampshire, in his answer said, that there were no settled manufactures in that Province, and that their trade principally consisted in lumber and fish.

"The Governour of Massachusetts Bay informed us, that in some parts of this Province, the inhabitants worked up their wool and flax into an ordinary coarse cloth for their own use, but did not export any. That the greatest part of the woolen and linen clothing, worn in this Province, was imported from Great-Britain, and sometimes from Ireland; but considering the excessive price of labor in New-England, the merchants could afford what was imported cheaper, than what was made in that country. That there was also a few hat makers in the maritime towns, and that the greater part of the leather used in that country, was manufactured among themselves. That there had been for many years, some iron works in that Province, which had afforded the people iron for some of their necessary occasions; but that the iron imported from Great-Britain was esteemed much the best, and wholly used by the shipping; and that the iron works of the Province were not able to supply the twentieth part of what was necessary for the use of the country.

"They had no manufactures in the Province of New-York, that deserve mentioning. Their trade consisted chiefly in furs, whale-bone, oil, pitch, tar, and provisions. No manufactures in New-Jersey, that deserve mentioning, their trade being chiefly in provisions shipped from New-York and Pennsylvania. The chief trade of Pennsylvania lay in their exportation of provisions and lumber; no manufactures being established, and their clothing and utensils for their houses being all imported from Great-Britain. By further advices from NewHampshire, the woolen manufacture appears to have decreased, the common lands, on which the sheep used to feed, being now appropriated, and the people almost wholly clothed with woolen from Great-Britain. The manufactures of flax, into linens, some coarse, some fine, daily increased, by the great resort of people from Ireland thither, who are well skilled in that business. By late accounts from

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