A HARBINGER OF THE REVOLUTION 107 



The answer of the Council and House of Representa- 

 tives of Massachusetts to a speech of Governor Bernard in 

 November, 1764, gives a concise but vigorous statement of 

 the effect of increasing the duty on molasses; the paper 

 states, "We shall instance in the fishery and lumber trade 

 only. In respect to the first, it is greatly diminished by 

 means of the duty on foreign molasses. Our pickled fish 

 wholly, and a great part of our cod fish, are fit only for 

 the West Indies market. The British islands cannot take 

 off one-third of the quantity caught; the other two-thirds 

 must be lost, or sent to the foreign plantations, where 

 molasses is given in exchange. The duty on this article 

 will greatly diminish its exportation hither; and being the 

 only article allowed to be given in exchange for our fish, a 

 less quantity of the latter will of course be exported. The 

 obvious effect of which must be the diminution of the fish 

 trade, not only to the West Indies, but to Europe ; fish 

 suitable for both these markets being the produce of the 

 same voyage. If, therefore, one of these markets be shut, 

 the other cannot be supplied. The loss of one is the loss 

 of both, as the fishery must fail with the loss of either.' 



From the foregoing facts can be seen the state of the 

 New England colonies, the condition of the fisheries, the 

 importance that the industry occupied in the life of the 

 time and as an agency for promoting other industries of the 

 northern colonies, as well as the influence that the discus- 

 sion of this measure had in arousing the colonists to united, 

 and at times, to unlawful acts in resisting proposed legisla- 

 tion of Parliament. It has been the popular idea that the 

 Revolution began with the Stamp Act. The temper of the 

 people had been tried before that time. Patrick Henry's 

 famous declaration 2 in the "Parson's Case' had raised 



iMass. State Papers, 1765-1775, p. 19. 



2 Henry stated that the King, by disallowing acts of a salutary 

 nature, forfeited all right to his subjects' obedience. 



