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unwilling to be under any, which may have the least Appear-
ance of lessening the Quantity of Tobacco they make; under
which general Denomination, all manner of Trash, tho' unfit
for anything but manure, is included, and so intermixt with
what is really merchantable, as to render the whole of little
Value; and in many Instances been so far from clearing the
Proprietors any thing near what it cost them, that it has
brought them in Debt, and given Maryland Tobacco in gen-
eral a very bad Character at all the European Markets
The Virginians finding by Experience, as We do, that when
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Lib. C. B.
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People are left at full Liberty to do as they please, they will
give in to such and so many fraudulent and corrupt Practices,
as will debase any Commodity or Manufacture, and ruin the
Reputation of the most valuable yea of Every, valuable Branch
of Trade, made several Laws to regulate theirs and after a
great many Attempts and Experiments, have at last been so
fortunate as to make a Law, that has put their Staple upon
such a foot as gives them all the Advantages which they have
over Us. These Advantages are so evident that even the
Common People (who are generally Enemies to all restraining
Laws) are thoroughly reconciled to, and fond of this Law, and
would consider any Man or Men, who would attempt to de-
prive them of the Benefits they derive from it, as the greatest
& most dangerous Enemies of their Country
Several Attempts have been made in this Province to regu-
late Our Staple, which were not so well concerted as to answer
the Ends for which they were designed, and as the People did
not derive any sensible or immediate Advantage from them,
so they soon grew Weary not only of them, but opposed any
Amendments or Alterations which in a length of time might
render them useful, and at last it became a generally received
Opinion that an Effectual Regulation was quite impracticable
Sometimes a short Crop occasioned by the Unseasonable-
ness of the Weather, or other Accidents, has occasioned a Rise
of Tobacco, which induced too many to think that not only a
Providential, but the only Remedy that could be reasonably
hoped for or expected; which Notion however wild and ex-
travagant, has contributed a good deal to fix an Aversion in
the Generality of the Common People; and indeed in too
many of their Representatives, to any Regulation at all: But
now, that the Difficulties under which the Country labours are
increased, and that every individual Person is sensible of them,
and that those who have given themselves the trouble of
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p. 209
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enquiring into the Success of the Virginia Law, are convinced
of the Necessity of some such Regulation here, and that with-
out it the Country is in apparent Danger of being absolutely
ruined; It is to be hoped that they would act so reasonably,
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p. 210
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