BEFORE we had recovered from the distresses
which ever attend war, an attempt was made to
drain this country of all its money, by the op-
pressive Stamp-Act. Paint, Glass, and
other
commodities, which you would not permit us
to purchase of other nations, were taxed; nay,
although no wine is made in any country, sub-
ject to the British state, you prohibited our pro-
curing it of foreigners, without paying a tax,
imposed by your parliament, on all we imported.
These and many other impositions were laid
upon us most unjustly and unconstitutionally,
for the express purpose of raising a Revenue. --
In order to silence complaint, it was, indeed,
provided, that this revenue should be expend-
ed in
America for its protection and defence. --
These exactions, however, can receive no justi-
fication from a pretended necessity of protecting
and defending us. They are lavishly squandered
on court favourites and ministerial dependents,
generally avowed enemies to
America and em-
ploying themselves, by partial representations, to
traduce and embroil the Colonies. For the ne-
cessary support of government here, we ever
were and ever shall be ready to provide. And
whenever the exigencies of the state may require
it, we shall, as we have heretofore done, chear-
fully contribute our full proportion of men and
money. To enforce this unconstitutional and
unjust scheme of taxation, every fence that the
wisdom of our British ancestors had carefully
erected against arbitrary power, has been violent-
ly thrown down in
America, and the inestimable
right of trial by jury taken away in cases that
touch both life and property. -- It was ordained,