country, concurred in representing
the colonists as very able to contribute largely towards defraying the
common expenses of the empire." (Ramsay's Colonial History, Vol. I.,
Chap. iii., pp. 332-335.)]

[Footnote 266: Prior Documents, etc., p. 5.

"The taxes of Great Britain exceeded by L3,000,000 what they were in
1754, before the war; yet the present object was only to make the
colonies maintain their own army. Besides the taxes on trade, which were
immediately to be imposed, Mr. Grenville gave notice in the House that
it was his intention, in the next session, to bring in a Bill imposing
_stamp duties_ in America; and the reasons for giving such notice were,
because he understood some people entertained doubts of the power of
Parliament to impose internal taxes on the colonies, and because that,
of all the schemes which had fallen under his consideration, he thought
a Stamp Act was the best. But he was not so wedded to it as to be
unwilling to give it up for any one that might appear more eligible; or
if the colonies themselves thought any other mode would be more
expedient, he should have no objection to come to it by Act of
Parliament. At that time the merits of the question were opened at
large. The opponents of the Government were publicly called upon to
deny, if they thought it fitting, the right of the Legislature to impose
any tax, internal or external, on the colonies; and not a single member
ventured to controvert the right. Upon a solemn question asked in a full
House, there was not one negative." (Bancroft's History of the United
States, Vol. V., Chap. ix., pp. 186, 187.)]

[Footnote 267: Mr. Grenville gave the year's notice apparently from
motives of kindness and courtesy to the colonies, "in order that the
colonies might have time to offer a compensation for the revenues which
such a tax might produce. Accordingly, when the agents of these colonies
waited upon him to thank him for this mark of his consideration, he told
them that he was ready to receive proposals from the colonies for any
other tax that might be equivalent in its produce to the stamp tax,
hinting withal that their principals would now have it in their power,
by agreeing to this tax, to establish a precedent for their being
consulted (by the Ministry, we suppose) before any tax was imposed upon
them by Parliament.

"Many persons at this side of the water, and perhaps the agents
themselves, looked upon this as a humane and generous pro