THE BRITISH EMPIRE. f 



to the alarming increafe of the debt contrafted in the 

 acquiikion of Canada, when the French power was 

 totally annihilated in that part of the continent, and 

 when every impediment that tended to obftrucl the 

 growing wealth of the colonies had been removed. 

 The experiment was made during the adminiftration 

 of George Grenville, by a flight tax on paper ufed 

 in deeds, called The Stamp df. It occafioned an urti- 

 verfal ferment throughout America, and was re- 

 pealed by the Marquis of Rockingham. A fucceed- 

 ingadminiftration unfortunately refumed the meafure 

 of American taxation, by a duty upon tea, of no more, 

 than three pence per pound. This impofirion the 

 people of America alfo rejefted, threw the tea over- 

 board, and flew to arms ; the event of which was, 

 the entire {Separation of that country, now the 'Thir- 

 teen States, from Great Britain, which thereby loft, 

 not only the fovereignty over its hereditary colonies, 

 but the exclufive trade of thofe colonies,, which is now 

 laid open to all mankind. Thefe unfavourable cir- 

 cumftances involved us alfo in a general war with 

 the principal maritime powers of Europe, of whom 

 we purchafed peace, by acknowledging the American 

 independence, and ceding to thofe flates the richeft 

 part of Canada; to Spain, Minorca and the two Flo- 

 ridas ; to France, the valuable ifland of Tobago in 

 the Weft Indies j Goree, and Senegal, on the coaft 

 of Africa ; befides the reftitution to the latter king- 

 dom, of St. Lucia, and all places which we had 

 taken during the war, in the Eaft Indies; circum- 

 flances extremely humiliating to the dignity of 

 Britain, fatal to her reputation, and injurious to her 

 commerce. This was not all. The national debt, 

 which, at the commencement of the war in 1775, was 

 136,000,000!. had increafed, atMidfummer 1784, to 

 280,000,000!. Confequently the lofing of America 

 hath more than doubled the national debt, and the 

 burdens of the people. 



A 4 Total 



