This report exhibits a view, although a very imperfect one, of the state of the trade and manufactures of the Colonies, about the year 1731-2.

The Governours of the several Provinces and Colonies, especially those who were independent of the crown, aware of the object of the queries put to them by the Lords Commissioners, returned answers as favourable as possible to the Colonists, and which would least excite the jealousy of the British merchant and manufacturer.

The disputes, however, between the British West-India sugar Colonies and the northern Colonies, concerning the trade of the latter with the foreign West-India islands, still continued with great warmth, and in 1733, in order to settle this dispute, and to encourtheir own sugar Colonies, Parliament passed an act (6 George II. c. 13) "For the better securing and encouraging the trade of his Majesty's sugar Colonies in America."

age

This act imposed a duty of nine pence sterling on every gallon of rum, six pence on every gallon of molasses, and five shillings on every hundred weight of sugar, imported into any of the British Plantations in America from foreign sugar Colonies. This duty was afterwards reduced to six pence on rum, and three pence on molasses. The duty was always very odious to the northern Colonists. It was justly considered by them as sacrificing their interest to the interest of the sugar planter. And it is well known that although this duty was attempted to be collected in the Colonies, by officers appointed by the crown, and by severe legal penalties, yet,

vigation, by reason of which, many of our American commodities, especially tobacco and sugar, are transported in New-English shipping, directly into Spain, and other foreign countries, without being landed in England, or paying any duty to his Majesty; which is not only a loss to the King, and a prejudice to the navigation of old England, &c.

"3. Of all the American Plantations, his Majesty has none so apt for the building of shipping as New-England, nor none comparably so qualified for the breeding of seamen, not only by reason of the natural industry of that people, but principally by reason of their cod and mackerel fisheries; and in my poor opinion, there is nothing more prejudicial, and in prospect more dangerous to any mother Kingdom, than the increase of shipping in her Colonies, Plantations, or Provinces."

by smuggling or some other way, the payment of it was generally evaded. In consequence of the statements in this report, relative to the manufacture and exportation of hats from the Colonies, and undoubtedly at the instigation of the manufacturers of that article in Great-Britain, Parliament passed an act (5 George II. 1732) "to prevent the exportation of hats out of any of his Majesty's Colonies or Plantations in America, and to restrain the number of apprentices taken by the hat-makers in the said Colonies or Plantations, and for the better encouraging the making of hats in Great-Britain." By this act, not only was the exportation of hats prohibited to a foreign port, but their transportation from one British Plantation to another British Plantation, was also prohibited, under severe penalties; nor could they be loaden upon any horse, cart, or other carriage, to the intent or purpose to be exported, transported, shipped off," &c. By the same act no person could make hats, unless he had served an apprenticeship for seven years, nor could he employ more than two apprentices at any one time.

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The making of pig and bar iron had become an object of some consequence in the Colonies. The British government were willing to encourage the importation of it into England, in its raw and unmanufactured state, but were opposed to the manufacture of it in the Colonies. In the year 1750, therefore, an act was passed (23 George II.)" to encourage the importation of pig and bar iron from his Majesty's Colonies in America, and to prevent the erection of any mill, or other engine for slitting or rolling of iron, or any plating forge to work with a tilt hammer, or any furnace for making steel, in any of said Colonies." By this act, pig iron is admitted into England duty free, and bar iron is admitted duty free, into the port of London. But the erection of any slitting mill, plating forge, or furnace for making steel, is prohibited under severe penalties. While the British government were thus jealous of the trade and manufactures of the Colonies, which were supposed to interfere with the particular interests of the mother country, they were disposed to encourage the production of such raw materials as were necessary for their manufactures, and such other articles as could not be raised in England, but for which they were entirely, or in a great measure, dependent upon other countries. At different periods, therefore,

Parliament offered liberal bounties on the importation of various articles into Great-Britain, which were the growth and production of the Colonies. By the 3 and 4 Ann, c. 10, (1706) a large bounty was given on the importation of tar, pitch, rosin, turpentine, masts, yards, and bowsprits, from the Colonies; and at subsequent periods, a bounty was given upon indigo, hemp, and flax, and timber of different kinds, raw silk, and on pipe, hogshead, and barrel staves. The society also instituted at London, in 1753, "for the encouragement of arts, manufactures, and commerce," offered liberal premiums for the production and culture of certain articles in the British Colonies.

In 1762, this society gave premiums on the importation of the following articles from the Colonies, viz. cochineal, sturgeon, raw silk, scammony, opium, pesiman gum, silk grass, safflower, pot and pearl ashes; and on the culture of logwood, olive trees, vines for raisins, vines for wines, cinnamon, aloes, hemp, silk, and sarsaparilla.

POPULATION, EXPORTS, AND IMPORTS OF THE COLONIES.

In 1749, the whole white population of the North American Colonies, now the United States, was estimated at 1,046,000.

ber in each Colony, was estimated as follows, viz,

The num

At this period, the annual value of the imports into these Colonies from England, was about £900,000 sterling. Dr. Franklin* states the value of the imports from Great-Britain, (exclusive of Scotland)

Fourth volume Franklin's Works, page 69.

into the northern Colonies, at two different periods, viz. from 1744 to 1748, and from 1754 to 1758, taken, as is supposed, from the English custom-house books, as follows, viz.

The great increase of imports during the last period of five years was owing, undoubtedly, in no small degree, to the war then existing between England and France, and which occasioned greater shipments than usual to the Colonies, in order to supply the troops during those years. This war, which has generally been called the French war of 1755, was occasioned, in a great measure, by a contest for boundaries and limits in North America, between the English and French. In all the former wars between these powers, the Colonists had been warmly engaged, and several attempts had been made by them to take possession of Canada and other parts of North America then in possession of the French. In consequence of these attempts, and in defending themselves against the attacks of the French from Canada, great expenses had been incurred by the Colonies; and having few resources, most of the colonial governments, at different periods, for the purpose of defraying these and other expenses, had issued paper money, but which in most if not in all instances depreciated.

The Colonies felt themselves more than ever interested in the result of the contest, as to the boundaries between them and the French Canadian settlements. The French were making such encroachments on the western and northern frontiers, as, if acquiesced in, would leave them but a small strip of territory along the Atlantic. They now, more than ever, felt the necessity of union and concert among themselves, for their mutual protection and defence, against those encroachments, and also of a general treasury, from which, the expense of such protection and defence might be defrayed. For the purpose of forming such an union, Commissioners from NewHampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode-Island, Connecticut, New-Jersey, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, met at Albany, in July, 1754. Commissioners from the other Colonies were expected, but were not pre

sent.

A plan of union was agreed upon by the Commissioners present. This plan was submitted to the King and Parliament for their approbation, and to the Assemblies of the several Colonies, but was rejected by the former, as vesting too much power in the Colonies, and was disapproved by the latter as giving too much power to the crown. By this plan, "the general government was to be administered by a president general to be appointed and supported by the crown, and a general council to be chosen by the representatives of the several Colonies met in their respective Assemblies." So far as respects the defence of the Colonies, the regulation of trade, and the collection of the taxes, this general government was authorized "to raise and pay soldiers, build forts for the defence of any of the Colonies, and equip vessels of force, to guard the coasts and protect the trade on the ocean, lakes, or great rivers; but they were not to impress men in any Colony, without the consent of the legislature. That for these purposes, they had power to make laws, and levy such general duties, imposts, and taxes, as to them should appear most equal and just (considering the abilities, and other circumstances of the inhabitants in the several Colonies) and such as may be collected with the least inconvenience to the people; rather discouraging luxury, than loading industry with unnecessary burdens.” . Had this plan been adopted, the separation of the Colonies from the parent country, might have been postponed for many years.