He must be grossly ignorant of America who
thinks that, without falling into this confusion of all rules of equity and
policy, you can restrain any single Colony, especially Virginia and Maryland,
the central and most important of them all.
Let it also be considered that, either in the present confusion you settle a
permanent contingent, which will and must be trifling, and then you have no
effectual revenue; or you change the quota at every exigency, and then on every
new repartition you will have a new quarrel.
Reflect, besides, that when you have fixed a quota for every Colony, you have
not provided for prompt and punctual payment. Suppose one, two, five, ten years'
arrears. You cannot issue a Treasury Extent against the failing Colony. You must
make new Boston Port Bills, new restraining laws, new acts for dragging men to
England for trial. You must send out new fleets, new armies. All is to begin
again. From this day forward the Empire is never to know an hour's tranquillity.
An intestine fire will be kept alive in the bowels of the Colonies, which one
time or other must consume this whole Empire.
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