“ They fled from your Tyranny to a then uncultivated and unhospitable Country—where they exposed themselves to almost all the hardships to which human Nature is liable, and among others to the Cruelties of a Savage foe, the most subtle and I take upon me to say the most formidable of any People upon the face of Gods Earth. ”

“ We shall be glad to find that the Stamp Duty now laying on America shall amount to forty or fifty thousand pounds, & that all the Duties together, the post Office & those laid upon Molasses & other ways shall amount to one hundred thousand pounds a Year, so that there will not only not be any money brought away from America by means of these Duties, but there will be a ballance of more than two hundred thousand pounds sent over every year from England to be spent in America. You say the Colonies think they can, & that they are willing to do something in the Common Cause;—is this too much? ”

“ The Courts of Admiralty have been complained of as not only infringing on English Lyberty by taking away trials by Jury, but as being so placed as to take people for trial from one End of America almost to the other. As to the first of these Objections they say here that there is no safety in trusting the breach of revenue laws to a Jury of the Country where the Offence is committed, that they find even in England they never can obtain Verdicts where Smugling is practised & therfore always bring the Causes up for trial to London. ”

“ Grenville gave us a full hearing—told us he took no pleasure in giving the Americans so much uneasiness as he found he did—that it was the Duty of his Office to manage the revenue—that he really was made to beleive that considering ye whole of the Circumstances of the Mother Country & the Colonies, the later could and ought to pay something, & that he knew of no better way than that now pursuing to lay such Tax, but that if we could tell of a better he would adopt it. ”

“ Grenville as to the Comparative few who have interested themselves in the Concerns of America, I beg leave to say that I think no pains have been spared, on the one Side in behalf of America to make the most ample & strong representation in their favour, & on the other on the part of the Minister to hear patiently, to listen attentively to the reasonings & to Determin at least seemingly with coolness & upon principle upon the several Measures, which are Resolved on. ”

“ The Agents of the Colonies have had several Meetings, at one of which they were pleased to desire Mr. Franklin & myself as having lately Come from America & knowing more Intimately the Sentiments of the people, to wait on Mr. Grenville, together with Mr. Jackson & Mr. Garth [2] who being Agents are also Members of Parliament, to remonstrate against the Stamp Bill, & to propose in Case any Tax must be laid upon America, that the several Colonies might be permitted to lay the Tax themselves. ”

“ They further urge, that the only reason why America has not been heretofore taxed in the fullest Manner, has been merely on Account of their Infancy and Inability; that there have been, however, not wanting Instances of the Exercise of this Power, in the various regulations of the American trade, the Establishment of the post Office &c, and they deny any Distinction between what is called an internal & external Tax as to the point of the Authority imposing such taxes. ”

“ In that of Pensilvania the Authority of Parliament to impose taxes is expressly mentioned & reserved; in ours tis said, our powers are generally such as are According to the Course of other Corporations in England (both which Instances by way of Sample were mentioned & referred to by Mr. Grenville in the House) ; in short they say a Power to tax is a necessary part of every Supreme Legislative Authority, and that if they have not that Power over America, they have none, & then America is at once a Kingdom of itself. ”

“ You find & I trust always will find an easy Access to those who from their Office have the principal Conduct of Revenue Laws, and we on our part find with pleasure that America is not destitute of persons, who at the same time that they have the tenderest regard for their Interests are well able to Represent to us their Affairs & who if they do it with integrity & Candor, will be sure to meet with our fullest Confidence. ”

“ The House of Commons, say they, is a branch of the supreme legislature of the Nation, & which in its Nature is supposed to represent, or rather to stand in the place of, the Commons, that is, of the great body of the people, who are below the dignity of peers ”

“ We feel in our bosoms that it will be for ever inconvenient, 'twill for ever be dangerous to America that they should be taxed by the Authority of a British parliament by reason of our great distance from you ”

“ A Soldiers life is not only a life of Danger, but in a proper Sense is a base life, whereas you have all a Chance in that opening Country to raise your families to be considerable in time by a diligent Attention to your natural and proper business. ”

“ Charles Townsend spoke in favour of the Bill—took Notice of several things Mr. Barre had said, and concluded with the following or like Words:—And now will these Americans, Children planted by our Care, nourished up by our Indulgence untill they are grown to a Degree of Strength & Opulence, and protected by our Arms, will they grudge to contribute their mite to releive us from the heavy weight of that burden which we lie under? ”

“ Let us then, instead of predicting the worst, hope that mutual Interest as well as duty will keep us on both Sides within the bounds of Justice. We trust we shall never intentionally burden you unreasonably ”

“ They protected by your Arms? they have nobly taken up Arms in your defence, have Exerted a Valour amidst their constant & Laborious industry for the defence of a Country, whose frontier, while drench'd in blood, its interior Parts have yielded all its little Savings to your Emolument. ”

“ No doubt it would, unless you were Erected into one power by a Union of the whole, but that is a measure we dont think you yourselves, was you in our Steads would think adviseable; and there are many reasons why you should wish not to have the Country Defended by your own Children. ”

“ Upon the whole he said he had pledged his Word for Offering the Stamp Bill to the house, that the house would hear all our Objections & would do as they thought best; he said, he wished we would preserve a Coolness and Moderation in America ”

“ On the other hand those who oppose the bill say, it is true the Parliament have a supreme unlimited Authority over every Part & Branch of the Kings dominions and as well over Ireland as any other place, yet we believe a British parliament will never think it prudent to tax Ireland. ”