A. D. 1782. yi^ 



or any part of Germany, were permitted to be fliipped at any port in 

 the dominions of the emperor of Germany or the houfe of Auftriu, fub- 

 jed to the duties payable on Rheniih wines and Italian filks. Timber 

 and fome other articles were alfo permitted to be imported from any 

 part of Europe in veflels belonging to the iiibjecfls of the fovercign of 

 the country, whereof the articles are the produce, though fucli country 

 may not have been under the dominion of fuch fovercign, v.hen the 

 Navigation adl was pafled in the reign of Charles II. All goods imported 

 under this a6t in foreign veflcis, or being tlie property of foreigners, 

 were ftill lubjecl: to alien's duty. [22 Geo. Ill, c. 78.] 



In the beginning of the year 1780 Lord Shelburne (now marquis of 

 Lanfdown) in the houfe of lords, and Mr. Burke in the houfe of com- 

 mons, made motions for a thorough reform in the national expenditure. 

 The later, in a powerful fpeech, laid down as fundamental rules — that 



all unnecefllxry and opprelfive juriididions fhould be aboliihed all 



public eftatcs, lield for the purpofe of creating influence rather than 

 adding to the revenue, fhould be difpofed of — all offices oi little or no 

 utility fliould either be I'uppreiTed, or ingrafted upon others — all offices, 

 which obflrud the views and operations of the general fuperintendant 

 of finance, fhould be aboliflied — an invariable order fliould be cflablifh- 

 cd in all payments, to prevent partiality — every eflablifhment fliould 

 be reduced to certainty in all its parts — all fubordinate treafuries, as the 

 nurferies of mifmanagement, and as perplexing the public accounts, 

 ought to be abolifhed. 



Of all the branches of INTr. Burke's vaft plan of reformation, tlic one, 

 which chiefly concerns this work, was the abolition of the board of 

 trade and plantations. Mr. Burke afferted, that that board had never 

 been of any fervice to the commerce of this country, and, whenever 

 they interfered, their injudicious tampering had been prejudicial ; that 

 they had never been of any ule to the plantations or colonies. New 

 England, Virginia, ^md all our wealthy colonies in the Weft-Indies, were 

 fettled before their eflablifhment : Pennfylvania and Carolina were 

 fettled after the extindion of the firft, and before the formation of the 

 prefent, board, during the whole exiftence of which only Georgia and 

 Nova Scotia were fettled ; two colonies which had coft more, and were 

 lefs produdive, th^tn imy of the others*. He rcniarkcil, that, however 

 ready adminiftration might be to defend the board ol trade and planta- 

 tions, they were very cautious of employing them. They were not 

 confulted on commercial points of the greateft importance ; nor did 

 any of the innumerable regalations for trade originate with that board. 

 Not one of the Eaft-India bills w.is pl.mncd there. The board had no 



* Mr. Burkf forgot CanaJ.i, ilic mo rioriJat, llru;tion« drawsi np by llic board of tra \t ; and 

 and ihc four Ceded il1and<s, whicli were" formed of Uiclc, the tllaiid< »eiy (oou Lccainc r^uaUc aod 

 into pro»iiice» after the peace of 1 763 under in- produiflive culonies. 



4X2 



