262 



and glorious prospect within our reach, if a sound and judicious na- 

 tional policy be steadily pursued. 



England, as a nation, hasfu'ly understood and acted upon such policy. 

 Party spirit, in that respect, has never retarded her advancement. She 

 Las always with a far seeing policy, taken care of her national industry. 

 So early as 1731 her jealousy v/as aroused towards even her own peo- 

 ple inhabiting these colonies, and she manifested a disposition to sup- 

 press the manufacture of paper here, because it was feared that it would 

 prejudice the industrial system which she fostered for her own direct 

 people. She could scarcely, in that jealousy allow the people of the 

 colonies to manufacture woolen and linen cloths for the use of their own 

 families; or even from their hemp and flax to make traces and halters 

 for their horses. Complaints poured in upon the Lor is Commissioners 

 of trade and plantations, and upon Parliament, from the British mer- 

 chants, planters and manufacturers, that "the colonists were carrying on 

 trades and setting up manufactures injurious to them, and to the interest 

 of the parent country," Whereupon, Parliament directed the Board of 

 T/ade and Plantations to ascertain and report "with respect to laws 

 made, manufactures set up, or trade carried on in the colonies, detri- 

 mental to the trade, navigation, or manufactures of Great Britain." 



Here we find the predominant characteristic of the Island Govern- 

 ment — one which has marked it to the present day — that of fostering 

 and protecting home industry; and the report of the Board fully con- 

 firmed it: for therein they remark, "It Avere to be wished that some 

 expedient might be fallen upon to direct their thoughts from undertak- 

 ings of this nature; so much the rather, because these manufactures in 

 process of time, may be carried on in a greater degree, unless an early 

 stop be put to their progress, by employing them in naval stores." * 



* * " Moreover, we find that certain trades carried on, and manu- 

 factures set up there, are detrimental to the trade, navigation and manu- 

 factures of Great Britain;" and they conclude their report with the 

 query, "whether it might not be expedient to give these colonies proper 

 encouragement for turning their industry to such manufactures and pro- 

 ducts, as might be of service to Great Britain, and more particularly to 

 tbe proiluction of all kinds of naval stores.* 



That very policy on the part of England, finally led to and occasioned 



•McPherson's Annals of Coinmerce, Vol. 3. 



