i86 A. D. 1732. 



juftly and zealoufly, and in the end efFedually, oppofed fo palpable a 

 contravention of that treaty. 



Purfuant to an order of the Britifli houfe of commons, direded to the 

 lords commiflioners of trade and plantations in the later end of the 

 laft, or the beginning of this year, relating to the difpute flill fubfifting 

 between the fugar colonies, and the northern continental colonies of 

 America, that board reported, with refped to laws made, manufac- 

 tures fet up, or trade carried on, there, detrimental to the trade, naviga- 

 tion, or manufadures, of Great Britain, as follows, viz. 



With refped to the laws, it is premifed, ' that many of the Britifh 

 ' colonies in America are immediately under the government of the 

 ' crown, namely, Nova-Scotia, New-Hampfliire, the Jerfeys, New-York, 

 ' Virginia, the two Carolinas, Bermudas, the Bahama iflands, Jamaica, 



* Barbados, and the Leeward iflands. Others are vefted in proprietors, 

 ' as Pennfylvania, Maryland ; and not long fince the Bahamas, and the 



* two Carolinas alfo. 



' There are likewife three charter governments. The chief of thefe 



* is Maflachufets-bay, called New England, the conftitution whereof is 



* of a mixed nature, where the power feems to be divided between the 

 ' king and the people, but in which the people have much the greater 

 ' fliare ; for here the people do not only choofe the affembly, as in other 

 ' colonies, but the aflembly choofes the council alfo, and the governor 

 ' depends on the affembly for his annual fupport, which has too fre- 

 ' quently laid the governors of this province under temptations of giv- 

 ' ing up the prerogative of the crown, and the interefl: of Great Britain. 

 ' The two remaining provinces, Connedicut and Rhode-ifland, are 

 ' charter governments alfo, or rather corporations, where almoft the 

 ' whole power of the crown is delegated to the people ; for they choofe 

 ' their aflembly, their council, and their governor, likewife annually, 

 ' and hold little or no correl'pondence with our office. 



' It is not furpriling that governments, conflituted like thefe laft 

 '\ mentioned, fhould be guilty of many irregularities in point of trade, 

 ' as well as in other reipeds. 



' All thefe colonies, however, by their feveral conftitutions, have the 

 ' power of making laws for their better government and fupport, pro- 

 ' vided they be not repugnant to the laws of Great Britain, nor detri- 

 ' mental to their mother country. 



' And thefe laws, when they have regularly pafl^ed the council and 

 ' aflembly of any province, and received the governor's aflent, become 

 ' valid in that province, repealable, however, by his majefty in council, 



* upon jufl; complaint, and do not acquire a perpetual force, unlefs con- 

 ' Armed by his majefly in council. 



' But there are fome exceptions to this rule in the proprietary and 

 ' charter governments ; for in the province of Pennfylvania they §ire 



