THE REVENUE SYSTEM OF TAXATION. PART III. tion in try Virginia was always peculiarly tenacious of the The Stamp Act, 1765. 1765 authority of her general assembly, and extremely sensitive on this very point of taxing. It now so happened, and we may well believe it was not a mere chance coincidence, that her general assembly was in session when the passage of the Stamp Act was announced on this side of the Atlantic, and on the twenty-ninth day Its recepof May the discussion of it was commenced. Among Virginia. the burgesses sat the afterwards eminent patriot, Patrick Henry, then a young man, who had recently distinguished himself as a lawyer in arguing a case which, on his side, involved opposition to the exercise of the prerogatives of the crown in church matters. He was now for the first time returned as a member of the assembly. He had studied the old records of the colo- Patrick ny, and imbibed from them the true spirit of liberty Henry. with which they were rife. Above many of his time, and of his years, he had watched the developments of protestant freedom, both in the old world and the new, and with prophetic confidence had cherished the conviction that a higher emancipation from the restraints of arbitrary and oppressive kingly prerogatives, and parliamentary authority, was in store for his country and for mankind. Rising in the midst of the discussion, all eyes were at once directed towards him, and all ears gave wrapt attention as he proposed and read the following preamble and resolutions: tions. "WHEREAS, The Honorable the House of Commons Virginia in England, has of late drawn into question how far the resolugeneral assembly of this colony hath power to enact laws for laying taxes and imposing duties, payable by the people of this his majesty's most ancient colony, for settling and ascertaining the same to all future times, the House of Burgesses of the present general assembly have come to the several following resolutions: "RESOLVED, that the first adventurers and settlers of Rights of original this his majesty's colony and dominion of Virginia, settlers, PART III. ORIGIN AND CAUSES OF THE REVOLUTION. The Stamp brought with them, and transmitted to their posterity, Act in Vir and all others his majesty's subjects since inhabiting in ginia, 1765. Their char See I. this his majesty's colony, all the privileges and immunities that have at any time been held, enjoyed, and possessed, by the people of Great Britain. "RESOLVED, that by two royal charters, granted by ter rights. king James I., the colonies aforesaid are declared entitled to all the privileges of denizens, and natural born subjects, to all intents and purposes as if they had been abiding and born within the realm of England. Taxation sentation "RESOLVED, that the taxation of the people by themand repre- selves, or by persons chosen by themselves to represent character- them, who only can know what taxes the people are British able to bear, and the easiest mode of raising them, and istic of freedom. An ancient right in Virginia. Destructive of freedom in are equally affected by such taxes themselves, is the distinguished characteristic of British freedom, and without which the ancient constitution cannot subsist. "RESOLVED, that his majesty's liege people of this most ancient colony, have uninterruptedly enjoyed the right of being thus governed by their own assembly in the article of their taxes and internal police, and that the same hath never been forfeited, nor in any other way yielded up, but hath been constantly recognized by the king and people of Great Britain. "RESOLVED THEREFORE, that the general assembly of this colony have the sole power to lay taxes and impoAmerica sitions upon the inhabitants of this colony, and that and England. any attempt to vest such a power in any person, or persons, whatsoever, other than the general assembly afore* Statutes said, has a manifest tendency to destroy British as well as American freedom."* at large. Speech of Patrick Henry. Mr. Henry went into an able and elaborate argument to vindicate these resolutions as expressive of the constitutional rights of the colonies, and closed with those glowing words of warning and of eloquence so well described by Wirt" Cæsar had his Brutus, Charles the First his Cromwell, and George the Third""Treason! treason!" cried the speaker, Mr. Robinson, THE REVENUE SYSTEM OF TAXATION. PART III. Act in Vir ginia in and others" may profit by their example," continued The Stamp the orator, and then nodding to the speaker, added "Sir, if this be treason make the most of it!" and then 1765. sat down. The resolutions were passed.* * See Irving's Soon after their passage, the lieut. governor, Fau-Washingquier, dissolved the assembly, and writs were issued ton. directing a new election of burgesses. Those who had voted for the resolutions were unanimously re-elected, while those who had opposed them were defeated. Resolutions proclaiming the same doctrines and breathing the same spirit, were also passed by the assemblies of New York, Massachusetts Bay, South Carolina, and In New most of the other colonies as they convened. York, etc. "These resolves," says John Adams, "expressed the universal opinion of the continent at that time, and the alacrity with which every other colony, and the congress at New York, adopted the same sentiment in similar resolves, proves the entire union of the colonies in it, and their universal determination to avow and support it."† Town meetings were everywhere called, at + Life of which the people passed resolves instructing their rep-Adams, resentatives in the provincial assemblies to oppose any vol. iv. measure whose object was to uphold the Stamp Act. John from New The following letter of instructions emanating from A voice the spot where the first settlement in New England was Plymouth. planted, the old town of New Plymouth in Massachusetts Bay, addressed by his constituents to their representative in the general assembly of that colony, is interesting not only for the spirit which it breathes, and the sentiments which it contains, but also as illustrative of the feeling of hostility to the proceedings of parliament which pervaded all the colonies. "You, sir, represent a people who are not only descended from the first settlers of this country, but inherit the very spot they first possessed. Here was first laid the foundation of the British empire on this part of America, which, from a very small beginning, has increased and spread in a manner very surprising, and PART III. ORIGIN AND CAUSES OF THE REVOLUTION. The Stamp almost incredible, especially when we consider that all 1765. A voice and secured ourselves against the invasions and cruelty "This place, sir, was at first the asylum of liberty, "We, sir, their posterity, the freeholders and other inhabitants of this town, legally assembled for that purpose, possessed of the same sentiments, and retaining the same ardor for liberty, think it our indispensable duty, on this occasion, to express our sentiments of the Stamp Act and its fatal consequences to this country, and to enjoin upon you, as you regard not only the welfare, but the very being of this people, that you-consistent with our allegiance to the king, and relations to the government of Great Britain-disregarding all proposals for any other purpose, exert all your power and influence in opposition to the Stamp Act, at least till we hear the success of our petitions for relief. We likewise, to avoid disgracing the memories of our ancestors, as well as the reproaches of our own consciences, and the curses of posterity, recommend it to you, to obtain, if possible, in the honorable house of representatives of this province, a full and explicit assertion of our rights, and to have the same J THE REVENUE SYSTEM OF TAXATION. PART III. entered on their public records, that all generations yet The Stamp Act, its to come may be convinced, that we have not only a just reception sense of our rights and liberties, but that we never, in America, 1765.with submission to Divine Providence, will be slaves to any power on earth." ton. George Washington of Virginia, was a member of George the house of burgesses of that colony when Patrick WashingHenry moved the resolutions already referred to, and gave to them his approval. After the adjournment of the assembly he retired to his seat at Mount Vernon. Hitherto he had taken no active part in political life; out the proceedings of the assembly, and the general aspect of things throughout the colonies, now evidently seemed to attract his most interested attention. With that calm composure and thoughtfulness for which he was always so remarkable, he surveyed the scene, and thus expressed himself in a letter to Mr. Francis Dandridge, then in London, dated September twentieth. ton upon "The stamp act imposed on the colonies by the par- Opinion of liament of Great Britain, engrosses the conversation of Washingthe speculative part of the colonists, who look upon its policy. this unconstitutional method of taxation as a direful attack upon their liberties, and loudly exclaim against the violation. What may be the result of this, and of some other (I think I may add ill-judged) measures, I will not undertake to determine; but this I may venture to affirm, that the advantage accruing to the mother country, will fall greatly short of the expectation of the ministry; for certain it is, that our whole substance already in a manner flows to Great Britain, and that whatsoever contributes to lessen our importa- How hurttions must be hurtful to her manufactures. The eyes ful to Engof our people already begin to be opened, and they will perceive that many luxuries, for which we lavish our substance in Great Britain, can well be dispensed with. This consequently will introduce frugality, and be a necessary incitement to industry. If Great Britain therefore, loads her manufactures with heavy taxes |