an act "for the Better
Preventing of a Spurious and Mixt Issue," laid a restrictive duty of L4
on all slaves imported.[19] One provision of this act plainly
illustrates the attitude of Massachusetts: like the acts of many of the
New England colonies, it allowed a rebate of the whole duty on
re-exportation. The harbors of New England were thus offered as a free
exchange-mart for slavers. All the duty acts of the Southern and Middle
colonies allowed a rebate of one-half or three-fourths of the duty on
the re-exportation of the slave, thus laying a small tax on even
temporary importation.

The Act of 1705 was evaded, but it was not amended until 1728, when the
penalty for evasion was raised to L100.[20] The act remained in force,
except possibly for one period of four years, until 1749. Meantime the
movement against importation grew. A bill "for preventing the
Importation of Slaves into this Province" was introduced in the
Legislature in 1767, but after strong opposition and disagreement
between House and Council it was dropped.[21] In 1771 the struggle was
renewed. A similar bill passed, but was vetoed by Governor
Hutchinson.[22] The imminent war and the discussions incident to it had
now more and more aroused public opinion, and there were repeated
attempts to gain executive consent to a prohibitory law. In 1774 such a
bill was twice passed, but never received assent.[23]

The new Revolutionary government first met the subject in the case of
two Negroes captured on the high seas, who were advertised for sale at
Salem. A resolution was introduced into the Legislature, directing the
release of the Negroes, and declaring "That the selling and enslaving
the human species is a direct violation of the natural rights alike
vested in all men by their Creator, and utterly inconsistent with the
avowed principles on which this, and the other United States, have
carried their struggle for liberty even to the last appeal." To this the
Council would not consent; and the resolution, as finally passed, merely
forbade the sale or ill-treatment of the Negroes.[24] Committees on the
slavery question were appointed in 1776 and 1777,[25] and although a
letter to Congress on the matter, and a bill for the abolition of
slavery were reported, no decisive action was taken.

All such efforts were finally discontinued, as the system was already
practically extinct in Massachusetts and the custom of importation had
nearly ceased. Slavery was eve