Note 95 — PAPERS ON AMERICAN SUBJECTS, DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY TROUBLES.
Reading edition
I take the following to be the history of this transaction.
Until 1763, and the years following, whenever Great Britain wanted supplies directly from the colonies, the secretary of state, in his majesty's name, sent them a letter of requisition, in which the occasion for the supplies was expressed; and the colonies returned a free gift, the mode of levying which they wholly prescribed. At this period, a chancellor of the exchequer (Mr. George Grenville) steps forth and says to the house of commons: We must call for money from the colonies in the way of a tax;—and to the colony-agents, write to your several colonies, and tell them, if they dislike a duty upon stamps, and prefer any other method of raising the money themselves, I shall be content, provided the amount be but raised. "That is," observed the colonies, when commenting upon his terms, "if we will not tax ourselves, as we may be directed, the parliament will tax us," Dr. Franklin's instructions, spoken of above, related to this gracious option. As the colonies could not choose "another tax," while they disclaimed every tax; the parliament passed the stamp-act.
It seems that the only part of the offer which bore a show of favour, was the grant of the mode of levying—and this was the only circumstance which was not new.
See Mr. Mauduit's account of Mr. Grenville's conference with the agents, confirmed by the agents for Georgia and Virginia, and Mr. Burke's speech, in 1774, p. 55. B. V.