Great Britain, should be so
narrowly watched, so severely restrained, was not obvious to the
Americans. Instead of viewing the parent state, as formerly, in the
light of an affectionate mother, they conceived her as beginning to be
influenced by the narrow views of an illiberal stepdame."--_Ib._, pp.
324, 325.]

[Footnote 260: Lieutenant-Governor Hutchinson, in a letter to Richard
Jackson, Grenville's Secretary in the Exchequer, September, 1763, says,
"The real cause of the illicit trade in this Province (Massachusetts)
has been _the indulgence of the officers of the Customs_; and we are
told that the cause of this indulgence has been that they are quartered
upon for more than their legal fees, and that without bribery and
corruption they must starve."

As a specimen of this "bribery and corruption," the deposition on oath
of the Deputy Collector of his Majesty's Customs at the port of Salem is
given, to the effect that every time he had been in the office it had
been customary for the Collector to receive of the masters of the
vessels entering from Lisbon casks of wine, boxes of fruit, etc., which
was a gratuity for suffering their vessels to be entered with salt or
ballast only, and passing over unnoticed such cargoes of wine, fruit,
etc., which were prohibited to be imported into his Majesty's
plantations; part of which wine, fruit, etc., the Collector used to
share with Governor Barnard. (Bancroft's History of the United States,
Vol. V., Chap, ix., p. 158, in a note.)]

[Footnote 261: "The sad story of colonial oppression commenced in 1764.
Great Britain then adopted regulations respecting her colonies which,
after disturbing the ancient harmony of the two countries for about
twelve years, terminated in the dismemberment of the empire. These
consisted in restricting their former commerce, but more especially in
subjecting them to taxation by the British Parliament. By adhering to
the spirit of her Navigation Act, in the course of a century the trade
of Great Britain had increased far beyond the expectation of her most
sanguine sons; but by rigidly enforcing the strict letter of the same in
a different situation of public affairs, effects directly the reverse
were produced."--_Ib._, p. 324.]

[Footnote 262: Prior Documents; or a Collection of Interesting Authentic
Papers relating to the Dispute between Great Britain and America,
showing the causes and progress of that misunderstanding from 1764 to
1775, pp. 1,