all our settlements, from Maryland to Grenada, are such as we cannot have at home, of which we consume great quantities, which must be purchased of foreigners, and perhaps of enemies, if we had not colonies that produced them. . . . A late writer from whom however I have had reason in the preceding pages to differ in certain articles, gives the following table of the tobacco and southern colonies.

These therefore are colonies that it much behoves this country to give every degree of encouragement to that it is possible they should receive; for by encouraging them, she in fact encourages herself. . . .

E. The Colonies as a Market for British Manufactures, 17553

About the middle of the eighteenth century the doctrine began to gain ground that the colonies were to be esteemed chiefly as markets for English manufactures. England was already entering upon the industrial development which was shortly to culminate in the industrial revolution. From this point of view the colonies most to be esteemed were the northern continental ones, which were growing much more rapidly in population and consuming power than the West Indies or the southern colonies. This is the point brought out by Clarke. He was a physician in Boston.

The Advantage accruing to the Mother-Country from the great Number of Inhabitants in her Northern Colonies, will appear from the Consideration of the Consumption they will occasion of British Manufactures, and also of all other European Commodities in general, which last must be landed and re-shipped in Great-Britain (which is by the Acts of Trade made the Staple of them for all the English Colonies) before they can be imported into America.

1 American Traveller.

2 Political Essays.

3 Observations on the Late and Present Conduct of the French, with Regard to their Encroachments upon the British Colonies in North America. By William Clarke (Boston, 1755), 33-4.

I shall not enter into a Detail of the European Commodities which are consumed within the Colonies, or a Computation of what Number of Hands their present Inhabitants may employ in England, for furnishing them with the British ones: Extracts from the Customhouse Books of the Goods exported for the Colonies, have shewn them to be very large at present; what is exported for New-England only amounting to Four Hundred Thousand Pounds Sterling per Ann. and the future Vent of them continually increasing in Proportion to the Growth of its Inhabitants, must of itself in Time become a more considerable Trade, and of a more beneficial Nature in every Respect to Great-Britain, than all its Branches of Commerce with foreign States put together. It is computed that near Half the present Shipping of Great-Britain is improved in the Commerce carried on with her Plantations, which Trade alone will in Time employ a much greater Quantity of Shipping, than all the present Shipping of GreatBritain. Besides, this Trade will enable her with greater Advantage to extend her Commerce with other Countries.

F. Trade between England and Her North American Colonies, 1700-17801

Though compiled to show something else the following table illustrates the reason for the changed attitude of England toward the colonies as stated in the two previous selections. It will be noticed that down to 1740 England had imported more from the colonies every decade than she had exported to them; in other words they were valuable as sources of supplies which England desired. On the other hand in every decade after 1740 the exports to the colonies exceed the imports from them, and in a rapidly increasing proportion; in other words the colonies are becoming increasingly valuable as markets for British manufactures.

1 Observations on the Commerce of the American States. By Lord John Sheffield (2d edition, London, 1784), Appendix, 24.

IV. WORKINGS OF THE COLONIAL POLICY IN THE COLONIES

A. Arguments for and against the Molasses Act, 1731 1

In order to protect the sugar planters in the British West Indies, it was proposed in Parliament in 1731 to prohibit the importation of sugar, rum, or molasses into England or her American colonies from the French, Dutch, or Spanish West Indies. As these articles could be had more cheaply in the foreign islands than in the British ones, a very lucrative trade had sprung up between these islands and the British American colonies, which was of great benefit to both parties. The arguments that preceded the passage of the so-called Molasses Act, which in 1733 placed heavy duties upon this trade, are here briefly given.

The merchants trading to the British sugar colonies and the planters, having petitioned the House of Commons, "complaining against the British Continent American Colonies, for their carrying on a trade with the foreign sugar colonies of the French and Dutch, from whence they were supplied with sugar, rum, melasses, &c. instead of those of our own sugar colonies, as well as with foreign European goods and manufactures; contrary to the tenor or intention of the laws in being, and of the treaty with France, in the year 1686;" (of which see our abstract under that year) "And they alleged, that as this new method of trade" (first begun to be complained of in the year 1715) "increased, and enriched the colonies of other nations, so that it was injurious to the trade of this kingdom, and greatly impoverished the British sugar colonies; and therefore praying relief therein." Whereupon a committee was appointed, upon whose report a bill was brought. in, and passed the House of Commons," For the better securing and encouraging the Trade of his Majesty's Sugar Colonies.".

Section I, "No sugar, rum, or melasses, of the plantations of foreign nations, shall be imported into Britain or Ireland, or to any of the King's dominions in America, under forfeiture of lading, ship and furniture."

Let us next, as briefly as possible, hear the allegations on both sides for and against this bill. In support of the bill, it was urged, both within doors and in several pamphlets and newspapers, "That the supplying the French and Dutch sugar colonies, with shipping, often sold to them, as also provisions, horses, and lumber, from our continent colonies, had been practiced ever since the peace of Utrecht; and that the so doing, not only made those necessary commodities

1 An Historical and Chronological Deduction of the Origin of Commerce. By Adam Anderson (London, 1787), III, 177–82.

cheaper to them than they could have them any where else, but it also obliged the importers to take in payment great quantities of the said French and Dutch sugars, rum, and melasses, to the infinite detriment of the British sugar colonies: and, what is still more grievous and detrimental to the public, that intercourse affords our Northern continental colonies an opportunity of being supplied with French European merchandize, although prohibited by law. . . .

"4. That for the encouragement of the said continental colonies to persist in the said trade, they have the rum and melasses from those foreign colonies without the high duties paid for them when imported into Britain; that melasses was formerly of little or no value to the French planter, because rum was detrimental to France, as interfering with the consumption of their brandy, until the French found they could sell it to our continental people, in return for timber, horses, oxen, and provisions, so needful for them; whereby also they saved so much money in specie; - and that even the money which they receive at our own sugar islands, in payment for their lumber, provisions, horses, &c. is now carried to the French sugar islands for the purchase of their melasses and rum. Near one-half of the goods which our continental people now carry to our own sugar islands, being paid for in money, and not by barter, as formerly; whereby the French are enabled to increase their settlements, and also their negro trade. . . .

On the other hand,

It was insisted, in behalf of the British northern continent colonies of America, viz. New England, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, and the Jerseys,

"I. That as all the sugar, rum, and melasses of our sugar isles are taken off at high prices by Great Britain and our said northern colonies; it would be very impolitic to obstruct the latter from taking melasses, and even rum, from the French islands, for the supply of their Indian trade, and much more of their fisheries: as our own sugar colonies are unable to supply the immense quantities of melasses which those two trades demand; more especially as from the French islands they receive in payment silver and cocoa, as well as melasses, (but seldom sugar or rum) which silver comes ultimately to Great Britain to pay for the balance of trade: and the said northern colonies distil the melasses into rum, for the above-named purposes.

"II. That by this trade the northern colonies are enabled to make such considerable remittances to England, in ready money, as they could procure no where else but by their traffic with the foreign colo

.

nies, as well as by indigo, cocoa, sugar, and rum, both from British and foreign colonies, for enabling them to pay for the great quantities of our manufactures which they yearly take of us. . .

"VI. That the consumption of rum in New England is so great, that an author on this subject asserts, that there had been twenty thousand hogsheads of French melasses manufactured into Rum, at Boston, in one year: and as a gallon of melasses will make a gallon of rum, this will amount to one million two hundred and sixty thousand gallons of rum in one year: so vast is the demand for that liquor, by their fishery, and by the Indian trade. If then, the trade from New England to the French islands was to be prohibited, how much would our American fishery, and the Indian trade suffer for want of rum? Seeing that all the rum from our own sugar colonies is now entirely taken off by Great Britain and her colonies. .

"Lastly, that the prohibiting the continental people from purchasing of the foreign colonies their sugar, rum, and melasses, or even laying high duties on them, would utterly destroy a commerce of such great consequence to the northern colonies, as that without it they could not carry on their fisheries, their trade for peltry with the Indians, and their navigation. Neither could they dispose of the product of their lands and labour, a great part of the profits whereof centers in Great Britain, in payment of the manufactures, &c. they have from thence. Upon the whole," say the advocates for the Northern British colonies, "the secret and real view of the Sugar Islands, is, to gain the absolute monopoly of sugar and rum, with respect to the subjects of Great Britain, to themselves; that so they may have it in their power to exact what prices they shall please from the buyers."

Notwithstanding all which plausible allegations on both sides, in a matter of great importance to our commercial interests, there was nothing legally decided until two years later, viz. till the year 1733.

B. Ineffectiveness of the Molasses Act, 17401

As finally passed, the Molasses Act did not prohibit the trade between the foreign West Indies and the British American colonies in sugar, rum, and molasses, but it placed very heavy duties upon their importation. If these duties had been collected this trade would have been destroyed, but under the policy of "salutary neglect" that prevailed the law became practically a dead letter until 1764.

The British Legislature willing to support and encourage his Majesty's Plantations in America, and particularly the Sugar Islands,

1 Memoirs and Considerations concerning the Trade and Revenues of the British Colonies in America. By John Ashley (London, 1740), 35-40, passim.