The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

TO THE PRINTERS.

It is with Pleasure we hear that the Inhabitants of Boston, at a full Town Meeting have unanimously determined and resolved to retrench their Expences and superfluous Consumptions of British-Manufactures--Such Resolves will eventually procure them a balance of Trade, if they can steadily adhere to them for a few Years : But considering they have had timely Intimations that an American Exchequer would certainly be appointed, they Should have come to these Resolutions before they had commissioned such very large Orders for Goods. as have lately been imported into that Place. to the Value of at least £.150,000 Sterling, and more daily expected, sufficient for a full Consumption of the whole Province of the Massachusetts for three Years to come--Tho' I am far from thinking these Regulations will not have a proper Influence and greatly affect the intended Revenues : yet if there had been as large and early Importation of such Articles upon which the Customs are to be paid.as would have supplied the Market till our own Manufactures had been encreased : This would greatly have anticipated the Expectations of the Commissioners, and their Substitutes, and put them to their Trumps for Support.-- All Contemptuous Treatment of these Gentlemen, is now not only needless, but im politic, as every Man for himself may prevent the Operation of the Revenue Acts, only by with-holding his Consumptions and encouraging our own Productions.--The Consumption of PAPER is worthy all our closest Applications : and when we consider that most Families make more Rags which are thrown away, as, if preserved wou'd pay for all the Paper they use in the Year : This ought to be a stimulus or Excitement to every Head of a Family from Principles of sound Policy, to urge and compel the Preservation of these seemingly useless Remnants ; and every Farmer by preserving his single Tow, which he throws out of his Barn, may now contribute his Share in the general Reformation, as with that Article can be made all our coarse Paper, suitable for Shops and Sugar Bakers use.

I am fully of Opinion the Appointment of a Board of Customs for America, will have many happy Consequences, and I firmly believe it is of more Service, than to pay the same Duties into the Exchequer in London, which has hitherto always been the Case, and we are only startled at a Bugbear, as we don't pay an additional Duty upon these customed Articles added to the prime Cost ; this is a prevailing erroneous Representation, which ought to be checked ; for these enumerated Articles of Customs are only charged here, with what was before paid in England into the Exchequer there, and applied to the national Civil List--now we pay it here, and not in England, and is appropriated to support, first of all, part of the provincial Civil Lists, which must greatly ease us of Taxes.

I would strongly recommend the use and wear of our own Manufactures of Cloathing, &c. and to import no unnecessary Articles till we can better afford them. We can make most of our own Cloaths out of our own Wool, which will endure longer than any imported : besides it will be an Employment for our Children, Servants and Poor, who would be otherwise exposed to Idleness and Want, and might then be made Useful to our Families and the whole Community.

AMERICANUS.
Portsmouth, Nov. 15.