The people heard, indeed, from the beginning of these disputes,
one thing continually dinned in their ears, that reason and justice demanded
that the Americans, who paid no taxes, should be compelled to contribute. How
did that fact of their paying nothing stand when the taxing system began? When
Mr. Grenville began to form his system of American revenue, he stated in this
House that the Colonies were then in debt two millions six hundred thousand
pounds sterling money, and was of opinion they would discharge that debt in four
years. On this state, those untaxed people were actually subject to the payment
of taxes to the amount of six hundred and fifty thousand a year. In fact,
however, Mr. Grenville was mistaken. The funds given for sinking the debt did
not prove quite so ample as both the Colonies and he expected. The calculation
was too sanguine; the reduction was not completed till some years after, and at
different times in different Colonies. However, the taxes after the war
continued too great to bear any addition, with prudence or propriety; and when
the burthens imposed in consequence of former requisitions were discharged, our
tone became too high to resort again to requisition.
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