American Political and Military Biography: In Two Parts; Part I, the Political Lives and Public Characters of the Presidents of the United States, and Other Distinguished Public Men; Part II, the Lives, Characters, and Anecdotes of the Military and Naval

Excerpt from American Political and Military Biography: In Two Parts; Part I, the Political Lives and Public Characters of the Presidents of the United States, and Other Distinguished Public Men; Part II, the Lives, Characters, and Anecdotes of the Military and Naval Officers of the Revolution

Parliament of Great Britain had neither directly nor indirectly ever attempted to derive a dollar Of revenue from America although various acts had from time to time been passed, regu lating the trade and commerce of the colonies, yet none of these were designed or' regarded, either in Britain or America, as reve I nue laws. T But in an inauspicious moment, the British ministry conceived u the idea of taxing the colonies, under the pretence of providing for their protection, but in reality to relieve the nation from the r immense debt, the weight of which hung heavily upon it. This iniquitous scheme, originating with the cabinet, was easily intro duced into parliament and in March, 1764, as a prelude to the memorable Stem flat, the house of commons resolved, That towards further efra ing the necessary expenses Of protecting the colonies, it may g; necessary to charge certain stamp duties upon them and this resolution was followed b what was com monly called the Sugar Act, ' passed on the 5th 0 April, and intro duced by the following truly alarming preamble Whereas it is mst and necessary that a revenue be raised in America, for defraying the expenses of defending, protecting and securing the same we, the commons, &c. Towards raisin the same, give and grant unto your majesty, after the 29th day of eptember, 1764, on clayed sugar, indigo and cofi'ee, of foreign produce, [and various! Other articles] the sum of, &c. This was the first act adopted by parliament, for the avowed object of raising a revenue in the colonies. The justice of this measure, which appeared so clear to the British parliament, was regarded in Anterica as oppression and tyranny, and occasioned great excitement and alarm. The deceptive pretension, that the revenue was to be raised for the purpose of protecting the colonies, was only adding insult to in justice as the colonies supposed that they were capable of pro teeting themselves, and the apprehended that the object was rather under the pretence o affording them protection, to mainv tain a military force in America, for the purpose of dragooning them into submission, and enforcing an unconstitutional system of taxation; thereby rendering them the instruments of fo ing their own chains. This act was rendered more disgusting, y a provision that the money raised by it must be aid in specue, and another. That those charged with having vio ated the revenue laws, might be prosecuted in the courts of admiralty whereby they were deprived of the privilege of trial b a jury, and were liable to be condemned by a single officer 0 the crown, whose salary was to be paid from the very forfeitures decreed by him self. And this was not all, or even the worst as the trial was conducted on such principles, that the a d, contrary to the well known maxims Of the common law, a epugnant to every idea of justice, was obliged to prove himself innocent, or sufi'er the penalties of the law. These iniquitous proceedings destroy ed all securit of roperty, and left every one at the mercy oi the minions o the ritish crown. Their pernicious influence was soori felt extensively in the colonies they no longer regarded.

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