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Home Great Britain and her Relations with America after the Seven Years War, 1763-1783 1763-1783; Part 3 |
1763-1783; Part 3Nor was Grenville's particular proposal unreasonable. He suggested that the colonies should pay one-third of the expense of this army by means of an Act under which all legal documents should bear stamps. Moreover, he put forward this proposal in a very tentative and moderate way. He allowed a year's delay for its discussion, and told the agents of the colonies that, if the colonies would raise the money in any other way, he would be quite content; and only when they failed to suggest any alternative scheme was the Stamp Act passed through the British Parliament (1765). Was Grenville justified in producing his Stamp Act? Legally the British Parliament had undoubtedly the right to pass the Stamp Act imposing this taxation on the colonies. But it was natural that a liberty-loving people should object to being taxed by a Parliament in which they were unrepresented, and which belonged to a country three thousand miles away that would lessen its own burdens by the amount of money it could raise from them. " No taxation without representation" has been the watchword of English liberty; and it proved a cry which it was difficult for Englishmen to resist. Consequently the colonies used the year which Grenville had allowed them not for discussion but for agitation. When the Act was finally passed and came into operation, there were riots, a governor's house was sacked (Unfortunately it contained an invaluable collection of historical papers and books, which were all destroyed), and stamp collectors burnt in effigy. No one used the stamps; and - most ominous of all delegates from nine out of the thirteen colonies met together to protest, thus showing a unity of purpose which they had never before exhibited.The opinions of British statesmen differed when news of these proceedings reached England. The king and Grenville were for Great Britain's legal rights. Others, like Burke, thought the Act inexpedient, and were not concerned with its legality. Pitt thought that the British Parliament had no right to tax the colonies, and proclaimed that the Americans would be slaves if they had not resisted. Meanwhile, on Grenville's retirement from office, Rockingham succeeded as prime minister. Adopting a conciliatory policy, he repealed the .Stamp Act, though an Act was passed at the same time declaring that Great Britain had a right to tax the colonies. The Americans were delighted; and all danger of serious trouble seemed to be at an end. |
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