The Sparrowhawk Companion (14 page)
Read The Sparrowhawk Companion Online
Authors: Edward Cline
Dogmael Jones’s speech in Parliament for repeal of the Stamp Act answers objections to repeal and particularly William Pitt’s pragmatic speech for repeal and tolerance.
“It is the anxious concurrence among the advocates of repeal and the defenders of the colonies here that some form of declaration of supremacy must accompany any act of repeal, for otherwise it is imagined, and not entirely without truth in the notion, that it would appear that the Crown, in such an act, would implicitly grant the colonies a unique state of political and economic independence not enjoyed by other Crown dominions.
“I join in that concurrence. For if the colonies are exempted from ‘internal’ legislative authority by Parliament, in little time it is supposed, also not entirely without justification, that they would begin to chafe under the proscriptions of the navigation laws and other constraints, and subsequently question that authority as well, and press for the immediate removal of those fetters.
“This is a true fear which I have often heard spoken in hushed words or delicate insinuations amongst both friends and foes of the colonies in this chamber. This fear may be credited, I am sorry to say, not to honest foresight, but to the natural apprehensions of frustrated and foiled political ambition and avarice.
“But, what have these gentlemen and lords to fear? I do not believe that the consequences of repeal by itself have occurred yet even to the most eloquent colonials, for, if the reports and testimony in this chamber are any guide, the most vocal and robust opposers of the Sugar and Stamp Acts there do not have political independence in mind so much as a fair and just regard by the Crown for their rights under our excellent constitution. An accompanying declaration of Parliamentary authority, if it comes to pass, will not much be noted by our fellow Britons over there. Only a few of them, and fewer of us, will see in such a sibling act the foundation of a more ruinous and angry contention than they believe the Crown is capable of handling, except in the manner of Turks.
“So, rather than seek to defend the temple of liberty, as many here purport to do, we will instead decide to prop up a moldy, half-collapsed, vine-smothered gazebo, which is infested with vermin and home to numerous rude and spiteful insects.
“Bind and confine the colonials? Should we not be honest about what this House intends to do? It is to bind and confine the colonials as captive felons, but take niggling, fussy care not to invade their pockets and appropriate what pittance is left to them after we have charged them the costs of their binding and confinement! What generosity! What kindness! What fairness! We propose to grant them the sanctity and liberty of their pockets, but not of their lives! But, should anyone in this House ever call this mode of supremacy
tyranny
, would he then be accused of treason?
“I wish to dwell for a moment on the unacknowledged, unspoken but common premise among all the speakers here, pro-repeal and anti-repeal alike, past and present, that the
colonies are already ‘another kingdom,’ and that the alternatives open to them are mutually grim. Be warned: When that realization has occurred to our colonial brethren, the logic of their binding and confining circumstance must lead them inexorably to a choice, which is to decide whether to fight for their liberties as Englishmen, or as Americans for an independence that will better secure them those liberties, and not leave them to the invidious mercies of legislators across an ocean, as we propose to do here.
“I say again: For the Americans, the alternatives to repeal of the navigation laws, as well, beginning with repeal of the Stamp Act, ultimately will be war and independence, or war and conquest. Then the Americans must decide to fight, or to submit. If to fight, and possibly to win, this nation should feel no shame in having lost, for it will be credited with having birthed a giant. If to fight and be conquered by us, then they will simply rise up in another decade. And if to submit, then they will do so ignobly, bitterly, and shamefully, after all the stirring, memorable, and defiant words they had spoken. Then we will have won by default, we will have the colonies in thrall, and we will have a dubious revenue from them, but we should feel no pride
whatsoever
in that triumph.
“Fiat lux.”
AND ROYAL DECREES CONCERNING
THE AMERICAN COLONIES, 1650-1775
Compiled by Edward Cline
Navigation Acts, October 1650, October 1651
Forbade foreign ships from trading directly with English colonies, and required all ships to be English and crewed largely by English or American colonials.
Navigation Act, 1 October 1660 (confirmed in July 1661 on Restoration of Stuarts)
Required all trade between Britain and colonies be conducted on
English-built ships, with largely English crew.
Act of Frauds, 1662
Only English-built ships could enjoy colonial trade.
Navigation Act, 1663
Most European goods and commodities to be transshipped from England on English-built ships. Navy given responsibility for enforcing the Act.
Navigation Act, 1673
Imposed tax or duty on colonial ships sailing between colonial
ports, and established customs commissioners to collect the duties.Navigation Act, 1696
Confined all colonial trade to English-built ships, gave colonial customs officers same powers as English customs officers, required bonds on enumerated (regulated but not taxed) goods, expanded enforcement power of Navy, and voided all colonial laws contrary to all Navigation Acts.
Wool Act, 1699
Restricted Irish woolen manufactures, and forbade export of American woolen products to England and between colonies.
Various Enumerated and Naval Stores Acts, 1705-1709
Broadened number of enumerated commodities, and paid bounties (or “bonuses”) on various products used in shipbuilding, especially for Navy ships.
Beaver Skins, Furs, and Copper Ore, 1721
Lowered duty on beaver skins, enumerated also furs and copper ore destined for Europe.
Hat Act, 1732
Prohibited the export of colonial-made hats between colonies, regulated apprenticeships in hat-making, barred Negroes from apprenticeships.
Molasses Act, 1733
Imposed prohibitive duties on rum, spirits, and molasses of foreign origin, except on British West Indies-produced molasses, rum, and spirits.
Iron Acts, 1750, 1757
Forbade development of iron and steel industries in colonies, but (in 1757) allowed pig and iron bar imports to England duty-free.
Order in Council, 4 October 1763
To combat colonial smuggling, to reform and strengthen the customs service in the colonies. Required Crown executives and officers to more aggressively enforce trade laws and customs regulations.
Proclamation, 7 October 1763
Prohibited colonial settlement west of the Appalachians (or “transmontane”), to regulate Indian trade, and to encircle the colonies to better regulate and tax them.
Revenue Act (or the Sugar Act, American Duties Act, or Duties Act), 5 April 1764
To raise money to support the British army in the colonies. Reduced import tax on rum, molasses, and sugar from 6d to 3d per gallon. As an extention of the Molasses Act of 1733, intended to discourage smuggling of West Indies and Continental products. Established vice-admiralty court in Halifax to try offenders, indemnified customs officers from civil lawsuits in case of Crown loss of case. Created elaborate system of cockets, bonds, and permits to account for every item of merchandise on inland water transport and seaworthy vessels.
Currency Act, 19 April 1764
Abolished and prohibited payment in colonial paper of debts to British creditors and merchants. Aimed at southern colonies, especially Virginia, the largest debtor. This act only served to increase the indebtedness of the colonials, for most “specie” or hard money (coin) remained in Britain in consequence of the Navigation Act and other Crown mercantilist regulations.
Stamp Act, 22 March 1765
Placed a stamp tax on virtually all legal and trade instruments at varying rates, payable in British specie only; added admiralty courts to enforce the Act in Philadelphia, Boston, and Charleston;
and abolished the Halifax court. Stamps also to be carried on pamphlets, newspapers, dice, and playing cards.Quartering Act (or American Mutiny Act), 15 May 1765
Required colonial legislatures to victual and supply necessities to British troops housed in colonial barracks.
American Trade Act, 25 May 1765
Strengthened Revenue Act of 1764.
Repeal of Stamp Act
, 18 March 1766As a result of colonial protests, and consequent unenforceability of stamp tax collection. Georgia only colony to collect stamp tax.
Declaratory Act, 18 March 1766
Reaffirmed Parliamentary legislative authority over colonies “in all cases whatsoever.”
Revenue Act, 6 June 1766
Created free ports in Jamaica and Dominica, reduced molasses duty to discourage smuggling, required bonds on all non-enumerated (or taxed) goods to the colonies or between colonies, and was intended to replace revenue lost by repeal of Stamp Act.
Revenue Act (or the Townshend Duties), 26 June 1767
Imposed tax on British-made paint, lead, paper, tea, and other items imported to colonies; legalized writs of assistance for customs searches; indemnified customs officers from lawsuits. Intended to subsidize colonial governments and British army.
Act for Creating American Board of Customs Commissioners, 29 June 1767
Intended to streamline customs administration and collection of various revenues.
Act for Suspending New York Assembly, 2 July 1767
For the Assembly refusing to obey the Quartering Act of 1765.
Order in Council, 6 July 1768
Reestablished Halifax admiralty court, and continuance of such courts in Boston, Philadelphia, and Charleston.
Parliamentary Resolves and address to king, 9 February 1769
Reasserted right of Parliamentary authority over colonies; deemed resistance to said authority as treason, to be tried in England; deemed town meetings in Massachusetts as contrary to and apart from Crown authority.
Repeal of Revenue or Townshend Act,
12 April 1770Repealed all Townshend Act duties except the one on tea.
Act for Regulating India Tea, 27 April 1773
Granted the British East India Company a monopoly on tea trade to the colonies.
Tea Act, 10 May 1773
As sister act of the previous act, retained the duty on British East India Company tea shipped to the colonies. Intended to raise revenue and combat smuggling of Dutch tea.
Boston Port Act (the first “Intolerable” or “Coercive” Act), 31 March 1774
To punish Boston by closing its port until the £10,000 of tea destroyed during Boston Tea Party paid. Food and fuel exempted, and also military stores.
Massachusetts Government Act (an Intolerable Act), 20 May 1774
Gave Crown-appointed governor broader powers of appointment over legislative approval; governor’s council to be Crown-appointed, not elected; town meetings to have governor’s prior
approval; and Crown to regulate juries.Administration of Justice Ace (an Intolerable Act), 20 May 1774
Permitted the removal of the trials of British officials charged with capital crimes to “friendlier” venues, i.e., outside of a colony’s jurisdiction.
Quartering Act (an Intolerable Act), 2 June 1774
British troops to be housed in vacant buildings if barracks not available.
Order in Council, October 1774
Forbade arms imports to the colonies.
Quebec Act (an Intolerable Act), 22 June 1774
Reaffirmed Crown authority over North America; redrew Quebec’s boundaries, annexing all territory to Quebec province from St. Lawrence River to eastern banks of the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico; and made Catholicism official religion of Quebec.
Order in Council, January 1775
Empowered colonial governors to arbitrarily prorogue assemblies to prevent elections to Continental Congress.
Parliamentary Address to the king, 9 February 1775
Claimed that a “state of war” existed between the Crown and the American colonies.
New England Restraining Act, 30 March 1775
Stricter trade regulation enforcement of New England colonies, intended to harm trade.
Restraining Acts, 15 April 1775
Stricter trade regulation enforcement of trade in Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina.
Proclamation, 23 August 1775
George III decreed a “state of rebellion and sedition” in the colonies, orders army to suppress rebellion and bring “traitors” to justice.
Proclamation, 26 October 1775
George III conceded that American colonies are fighting for independence from the Crown, that a “state of war” exists, and charged peace commissioners to grant pardons and receive acknowledgment of Crown authority.
American Prohibitory Act, 22 December 1775
Declared Americans “outlaws” and authorized seizure of American goods and ships. Pro-independence leaders in America and sympathetic members of Houses of Commons and Lords regard the Act as “independence by Act of Parliament.” All American ports closed to British and foreign trade by 1 March 1776.
by Edward Cline
In this period, all money, currency, or specie consisted of hard metal, in gold, silver, or copper denominations. Paper money, bank notes, or government-issued notes (from the Bank of England) were not much used because they were too easily susceptible to forgery and counterfeiting. The forerunner of today’s paper money was a bill of exchange (q.v.) or a negotiable security, such as a console (a form of annuity), employed for convenience and efficiency of transaction and trade.