OF LANCASTER COUNTY. 197 



nies/ it was asserted in the mother country 'to be essential to the unity, 

 and of course to the prosperity, of the empire, that the British parha- 

 ment should have a right of taxation over every part of the royal do- 

 minions.' In the colonies it was contended, ' that taxation and representa- 

 tion were inseparable, and that they could not be safe, if their property 

 might be taken from them, without their consent." This claim of the 

 right of taxation on the one side, and the denial of it on the other, was 

 the very hinge on which the revolution turned. 



"In accordance with the policy to be observed towards America, the 

 next year, 1765, the famous stamp act passed both houses of parliament. 

 This ordained that instruments of writing, such as deeds, bonds, notes, 

 &c. among the colonies, should be null and void, unless executed on 

 stamped paper, for which a duty should be paid to the crown," 



"The efforts of the American colonies to stay the mad career of the 

 English ministry proved unavailing. The stamp act was passed with 

 slight opposition by the commons, and with unanimity by the lords. 

 Dr. Franklin laboured earnestly to avert a measure which his sagacity 

 and extensive acquaintance with the American people taught him was 

 pregnant with danger to the British empire; but he entertained not the 

 idea that it would be forcibly resisted. He wrote to Mr. Charles Thomp- 

 son, ' The sun of liberty is set, you must light up the candles of industry 

 and economy.' To which Mr. Thompson replied, ' he was apprehensive 

 that other lights would be the consequence.' To Mr. Ingersol, the 

 doctor said, ' Go home and tell your people to get children as fast as they 

 can,' intimating that the period for successful opposition had not yet 

 arrived."^ 



The opposition to the stamp act in America was so decided and uni- 

 versal that Parliament had only the alternative to compel submission or 

 to repeal the act. It was repealed on February 22, 1766, but accom- 

 panying it was one known as the declaratory act^ more hostile to American 

 rights than any of its predecessors. The act affirmed "that Parliament 

 have, and of right ought to have, power to bind the colonies in all cases 

 whatsoever^ 



In 1767 a Bill passed Parliament, imposing certain duties on tea, glass, 

 paper, and painters' colors, imported into the Colonies from Great Britain. 

 This act with several others rekindled the opposition of the Colonies. 

 Again associations were formed to prevent the importation of British 

 goods, and meetings called to resolve, petition and remonstrate. The 

 British ministers, [1769] deluded into the belief that a reduction of the tax 

 would restore tranquility, promised that five-sixths of the taxes imposed 

 in 1767 should be repealed; and in 1770 all were abolished, save three 

 pence a pound on tea. 



1 Goodrich. 2 Gordon. 



