110 NEW ENGLAND FISHERIES 



from him the New England captain would purchase a clear- 

 ance stating that the cargo had been secured at the island. 

 For a considerable time ' ' Anguilla clearances ' ' were winked 

 at by the New England officials until the government, 

 learning of the state of affairs, put an end to the prac- 

 tice. 1 



The effect of the enforcement of the navigation laws 

 was felt distinctly by commercial interests. Dickinson, 

 writing in 1765, complains of the scarcity of money for 

 use in trade, due to this unwise policy of the ministry. 

 Other instances of increased sluggishness in trade aris- 

 ing from lack of money can be noted within the next three 

 or four years, because of the duty imposed on goods im- 

 ported into America. 2 In spite of all, however, the fish- 

 eries were not ruined, neither was the carrying trade of 

 New England seriously affected by the passage of the Sugar 

 Act. The effective enforcement of the act would undoubt- 

 edly have brought about an alarming state of affairs. 

 Neither the duties laid in 1764 nor the collection of the 

 taxes anticipated from the Stamp Act of 1765 would have 

 produced a tithe of the evil to the colonies that would have 

 followed its strict enforcement. 3 Such troubles were 

 averted partly by the continuance of smuggling; but 

 mostly, as Hutchinson states, "by connivance or indulgence 

 in the officers," who, when the act was carried into execu- 

 tion, seldom exacted a duty of more than one-half the pre- 

 scribed amount on molasses. 4 The merchants, regarding 

 this as a fair tax, were usually willing to pay the duty with- 

 out complaint. 



The decade between 1765 and 1775, following the at- 

 tempt to enforce the Sugar Act, was one of general activity 



1 Sabine, pp. 137-138. 



2 Weeden, II, pp. 759-760. 

 s Winsor, VI, pp. 25-26. 



* Hutchinson, History of Massachusetts Bay, III, p. 109. 



