rate in
advancing the one great object of growing national greatness by
enlarging the commerce and dominions of Great Britain. This was the case
in the earlier stages of American colonization. The colonists needed the
naval and diplomatic protection of England against foreign invasion, and
the manufactures of England for their own wants and conveniences, while
England needed the productions of the colonial forests and waters. The
colonial trade became a monopoly of England, and its transportation to
and from the colonies was confined to English ships and sailors. Even
manufactures in the colonies were forbidden, or restricted, as well as
their trade with foreign countries, except by way of England; so that
the colonies became so many trading ports for English merchandise, and
the American traders were little other than factors of English
merchants.

However this system of monopoly and restriction might answer the
purposes of English merchants and manufacturers, might contribute to
build up the mercantile navy of England, and even be politic on the part
of Government in colonial infancy, it could not fail ere long to cause
friction with the colonies, and was utterly unsuitable to their
circumstances as they advanced to manhood.[258] As the colonies
increased in wealth and population, their commerce increased with each
other and with the mother country, and overflowed to the French and
Spanish colonies in the West Indies. Even before the termination of the
war of 1755, a considerable commerce had been carried on between the
British and Spanish colonies; the latter needed many of the productions
and importations of the former, and the former needed the gold and
silver, molasses and sugar, of the latter. The British colonies sent
lumber, fish, and large quantities of goods imported from England, to
the Spanish colonies, and received chiefly in payment gold and silver,
with which they made remittances to England for the goods purchased
there.[259] Such was the position of the colonies in respect to Great
Britain and other European Powers at the peace of Paris in 1763; and
such the friendly and affectionate feelings of the colonies towards the
mother country down to that period.

III. The treaty of Paris was ratified in February, 1763; and on the 17th
of March following, the Chancellor of the Exchequer submitted among the
estimates the following item, which was adopted by the Commons:

"Upon account, to enable his Majesty