The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

From the Massachusetts Spy.

TEA has of late been, and is now, the principal subject-Matter of Conversation, and has occasioned such a vast Number of Town-Meetings upon this Continent, it may not be improper at this Time to lay before the Public, an Estimate of the annual Charge of this single Article, to the North-American Colonies. To investigate we shall begin with a Fact ascertained by the East-India Company, in their late Application to the Ministry, to obtain the repeal of the three-penny Duty; in which they say, That the usual yearly Consumption in the Colonies, before that Duty took Place, was two million pounds weight: That in Consequence of the Duty being offensive to the Colonies, they have lost a great part of their Sales: And that in Consequence of this, they have an uncommon Quantity now in their Ware-Houses: And that, supposing the Colonies should take off the usual Quantities; yet, there will remain unsold in December 1774, Four Years Stock.

This Two Millions supplied from the East-India Company, is supposed not more than half the Quantity annually consumed in North-America.

Another Writer supposes that there are Two Million Persons in the Colonies who drink TEA, and reckons Two Pounds to each.

Now it is supposed that there are at this Time, in the Colonies upon the Continent, Five Million Inhabitants, exclusive of Indians; if so, then, agreeable to the above, we may fairly suppose Four Million Pounds wt. of TEA annually consumed among them.

This 4,000,000 lb. wt. at 3d. Sterl. or 1s. Old Tenor. per lb. Duty amounts to L.50,000 Sterl. --- 500,000 Old Tenor.

And then suppose 2s. 6d. sterl. per lb. more for its first Cost, Charges and Merchants Profits, until it gets into the Consumers Hands, and this amounts to Sterl. 550,000, --- 5,500,000 Old Tenor.

600,000, ------ 6,000,000

By this it appears, that if we consume Yearly Four Million Pounds Weight, and the Consumer pays 30s. old Tenor per Pound upon an Average, we must annually pay Six Million Pounds old Tenor for a Foreign Article, which is absolutely unnecessary, and which we can so well do without, that perhaps it would not be worth our Acceptance at one Penny old Tenor per Pound.

When we consider the Duty with which this Article is loaded, with its Attendant SLAVERY: that its MEDICAL VIRTUES do not recommend it: that it drains us of an immense Sum of Money, which if left to circulate among us, would be a great blessing to People of all Ranks; and that various Substitutes are easily obtained, either from among ourselves, or from the West-Indies with our Produce: I say, when these things are considered, we shall scarcely find within us such an affection for it, as to sacrifice Six Millions annually for the emolument of the East-India Company, or the Establishment of an American Revenue. --

And as the Merchants of Boston, New-York, &c. may easily turn their Stock into another Channel, less Injurious to the Country, it is hoped they will readily give up that Article of Commerce, and heartily join the Country in a full and unlimited Renunciation of all Foreign TEAS forever; for, "by UNITING, we stand; by DIVIDING, we Fall."