Under regulations of this kind, modified from time to time in the details, and observed by the Americans with no great strictness, when regarded by them as injurious, the trade of the colonists con tinued till the year 1763; grain, salted provisions, and other of their most valuable products, being among the non-enumerated articles, .they could carry to any part of Europe. In 1705, molasses was added to the list of articles which could be legally exported only to England or British possessions. In 1722, beaver, and peltry, and copper ore, were included in the list, which was further extended in 1729, by the addition of tar, turpentine, masts, yards and bowsprits, and in other years, by the addition of pig and bar iron, pot and pearl ashes, Ivhale fins, hides, and some other commodities.
In 1730, among the new articles of import from the colonies into England, were fifty hundred weight of hemp, raised in New England and Carolina, and forty tons of iron, thirty hundred weight of copper ore, one hundred and fifty-six quintals of beeswax, three hundred weight of hemp, and three hundred weight of raw silk, produced in Virginia.
About the year 1741, the Carolinians being de prived of a market for their rice by the wars in Europe, began to cultivate indigo.
In 1749, the bounty granted to British whaling ships was extended to American whaling ships under certain limitations. In the same year per mission was given to import American raw silk into England, free of duty: and in the following year the privilege was extended to pig and bar iron.
In 1764, acts were passed to prohibit the importa tion of sugar and rum from the foreign colonies into the American colonies, to lay a duty of one pound two shillings per cent on all foreign clayed sugars imported into the colonies, instead of the old duty of five shillings and six-pence, to lay a duty of six-pence a pound on foreign indigo, instead of the old duty of two-pence, on foreign coffee a duty of two pounds nineteen shillings and nine-pence, on Madeira wine a duty of seven pounds per ton, on Port and Spanish wines imported into the colonies from Great Britain ten shillings per ton, on Asiatic silks and silk stuffs two shillings sterling a pound, on Asiatic calicoes two shillings six-pence a piece, on foreign cambrics and French lawns three shil lings sterling a piece, on coffee exported from the British West Indies to any place but Great Britain seven shillings sterling per hundred weight, on pi mento one half-penny sterling per pound. These provisions for imposing duties on various articles when imported into America, were accompanied with others for withdrawing the drawback which had usually been allowed on the exportation from England to the colonies, of different articles of Eu ropean growth and manufacture. It was enacted
" that there be not any drawback allowed of any part of the rate or duty of the old subsidy on any foreign goods, (except wines), of the growth, pro duct, or manufacture of Europe, or the East In dies, exported from this kingdom to the British colonies in America. That no drawback be al lowed of any part of any rate or duty upon white calicoes or foreign linens." As the duties imposed by the act of 1733 were seldom paid, it was resolved to support the new commercial regulations by a naval force on the coast. The consequences of these measures were so important, that we feel we cannot render a more acceptable service to our readers, than by tran scribing the statement of Mr Coombe, the conti nuer of Anderson's History of Commerce, a work which has not been republished in the United States.
After mentioning the necessity the British minister, ?lr Granville, found himself under of increas ing the public revenue, on account of the increase of the public debt, he says, " The methods which were now adopted to prevent smuggling, might not have been attended with any unpleasant conse quences, if they had been confined to the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland; but by extending them to the shores of America, they interrupted a com merce, which, though not strictly legal, was ex tremely advantageous to the colonies. They were, therefore, in a state of no common discontent on account of the acts of the British parliament, which added to their restraints, when the stamp act ap peared to heighten their resentment, and raise a kind of private displeasure into public remonstrance and general opposition.
" A number of armed cutters were stationed around the coasts of Great Britain, and the most rigid orders were issued to the commanders of them to act in the capacity of revenue officers. They were enjoined to take the usual customhouse oaths, and to observe the regulations prescribed by them. Thus was the distinguished character of a British naval officer degraded by the employment of a tide waiter, and that active, zealous courage which had been accustomed to the conquests of an enemy, was now to be exerted in opposing a contraband trade, and to find a reward in the seizure of prohibited commodities.