54 
HISTORY OF THE [book hi. 
The crown, however, persisting in its claim, and 
the inhabitants in opposing it, issue was joined on 
the arguments that I have stated, and the question 
was at length referred to a solemn adjudication be¬ 
fore the judges of the court of King’s Bench in 
England.* 
The case was elaborately a r gued in Westminster- 
hall, four several times; and in Michaelmas term 
1774, lord chief justice Mansfield pronounced 
judgment, against the crown . The consequence 
was, that the duty in question was abolished not 
only in Grenada, but also in the ceded islands of 
Dominica, St. Vincent and Tobago. 
It may be reasonably supposed, that the inhabi¬ 
tants of all these islands had sufficient cause for ex¬ 
ultation at a verdict so favourable to their interests; 
but the circumstances on which the decision was 
founded, and the doctrines which were promul¬ 
gated along with it, became the subject of much 
animadversion; and indeed (if I may obtrude my 
own opinion in such a case) they appear to me to 
be of a dangerous and unconstitutional tendency. 
The noble and venerable judge who pronounced 
the opinion of the court, rested the determination 
solely on the circumstance, that the proclamations 
of October 1763, and March 1764, were of prior 
date to the letters patent; observing, that the king 
* The case is related at large in Cowper’s Reports. 
