paratively
slight notice, when it came to a head, absorbed for several years the
whole attention, not only of these kingdoms, but of foreign countries
also. It was originally--in appearance, at least--merely a dispute
between Great Britain and her Colonies in North America on the mode of
obtaining a small revenue from them. But, in its progress, it eventually
involved us in a foreign war of great magnitude, and thus became the one
subject of supreme interest to every statesman in Europe. England had
not borne her share in the seven years' war without a considerable
augmentation of the national debt, and a corresponding increase in the
amount of yearly revenue which it had become necessary to raise;[33] and
Mr. Grenville, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, had to devise the means
of meeting the demand. A year before, he had supported with great warmth
the proposal of Sir Francis Dashwood, his predecessor at the Exchequer,
to lay a new tax upon cider. Now that he himself had succeeded to that
office, he cast his eyes across the Atlantic, and, on the plea that the
late war had to a certain extent been undertaken for the defence of the
Colonies in North America, he proposed to make them bear a share in the
burden caused by enterprises from which they had profited. Accordingly,
in March, 1764, he proposed a series of resolutions imposing a variety
of import duties on different articles of foreign produce imported into
"the British Colonies and plantations in America," and also export
duties on a few articles of American growth when "exported or conveyed
to any other place except to Great Britain." Another resolution affirmed
"that, toward defraying the said expense, it might be proper to charge
certain stamp-duties in the said Colonies and plantations."

The resolutions imposing import and export duties were passed by both
Houses almost without comment. That relating to a stamp-duty he did not
press at the moment, announcing that he postponed it for a year, in
order to ascertain in what light it would be regarded by the Colonists
themselves; and as most, if not all, of the Colonies had a resident
agent in London, he called them together, explained to them the object
and anticipated result of the new imposition (for such he admitted it to
be), and requested them to communicate his views to their constituents,
adding an offer that, if they should prefer any other tax likely to be
equally productive, he should be desirous to consul