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tinued to be cramped the evident Consequence must be that we
should not have Credit to purchase such considerable Qties of British
Manufactures as we now do the Demand will encrease with our
Numbers and Necessity must invent Acts Our Province is tolerably
adapted to the raising of Sheep and our Soil and Climate are suitable
for Hemp and Flax with these Advantages perhaps the great Diffi-
culty lies in the Attempt to cloath ourselves. The Importance of
this Province and Vifginia as Tobacco Colonies is universally al-
lowed and the Appendix to the Considerations &c has stated that
Matter in a striking Light to which may be added the great Benefit
to the Mother Country from her obliging all Tobo to be carried
there which being sold from thence to those Foreigners (in whose
Favour the Bal of Trade would otherwise generally lie) to the
Yearly Amount of upwards of half a Million Great Britain thereby
either saves or receives Remittances annually to the Value of that
Sum and the planters Pittance of which is at last paid in her own
Manufactures
It is observable that generally when England has laid Duties and
Imposts on Goods not intended to be prohibited she has encouraged
the trading Subjects by the Indulgence of Time for the Payment
and considerable Abatements on prompt Payment of those Duties
But this Lenity has not been exercised in the late Acts towards the
Americans the great Duties are thereby imposed on the Impost of
common Articles not intended to be prohibited there must here be a
full Payment in Specie before the Goods can be landed This Severity
necessarily diminishes the American Merchants Stock in Trade and
obliges him to be prepared at all Events with ready Money to lay
down the Duties or else his valuable Imports are to be sold at
Auction attended with the further Melancholly Consequence of
ruining his Credit tho' on the Indulgence of Time for Payment he
might probably have raised and paid the Duties by his own Sale
of the Goods within a reasonable Time for remitting the Exchequer
Equally severe and Impolitick are the Prohibitions on the Colonies
to export Iron to Europe except Great Britain and Ireland and
Lumber to any part of Europe to the Northward of Cape Finisterre
or and some other bulky Goods to Ireland These
Articles might be expected from America with some Profit could
they be carried immediately to the proper Markets but will not bear
the Additional Expences of being carried to & handed and reshipped
in Great Britain the Consequence is not that Great Britain appro-
priates these Branches of Commerce to herself but the Sweeds Danes
Hamburghers &c supply the Markets is it not more eligible for
Great Britain to receive the Proffits in Remittances than to destroy
these Branches of her Subjects Commerce It is on this Principle that
Fish is permitted to be exported from America directly to the Roman
Catholic Countries in Europe The Establishment of Comptrollers by
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