The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

To the PRINTER.

At a time when the Cause of Liberty is so openly espoused, and the Inhabitants of North-America perceive the absolute Necessity of retrenching their luxurious Expences, from a Consciousness that the present embarrassed Situation of their respective Connexions in Trade, will render their Remittances for their Importations from Great-Britain, not only very difficult, but in some Places impossible--I say, at this Time, I should rejoyce to see some able Pen set the Connexion between England and her Colonies in a true Point of Light, and to prove that it is in the Power of the former to make the latter compleatly happy--A Memorial from the reputable Merchants in America representing the Stagnation of their Commerce, and proposing some Branches of Trade as will immediately redress them, and, at the same Time, enrich Great-Britain, but certainly meet with Approbation, and be attended to with redoubled Diligence by her Manufacturers.

The Easiest to put in Practice that can be offered, would be to transfer the present Demand of Great-Britain for Naval Stores Timber, Deals, Masts, &c. from Norway, Sweden and the East Country to these her American Colonies: with suitable Encouragement we could soon supply her with Hemp, Flax, Turpentine, Tar, all kinds of Fir, Timber, Deals, Pipe and Hogshead Staves, Masts, Iron, &c. in as large Quantities, and in a little Time as cheap--The Bounty that has been paid upon some of these Species has not hitherto been sufficient to establish this Trade: it should have been extended to all, --if the Trade was designed in general: the grand Obstacle lies in the Price of Freight, on account of the Distance of Place, and the Length of the Voyage-- How to adjust this will require some Attention; but if the Duties upon the Importation of these American Productions was intirely taken off, and an additional Bounty to them increased, to be Paid out of an Impost laid on all Exportations of British Goods to these Colonies; this would greatly conduce to Answer the End; for the Colonies would not complain of this Impost, as it is in a manner Paid to themselves, and is but taking the Money out of one Pocket and putting it into another--The Growth of our Lands here will be Exported, and our Inhabitants employed; the Benefit resulting from this Commerce would be, that Great-Britain will save all the immense Sums of Money in Specie within herself, that is annually sent to Norway for Deals, Timber, Masts, Tar, &c. and receive the same Goods from us in Exchange for their Manufactures, which would be purchased and produced by and from the Labour of the Inhabitants of these Colonies.

Instead of two thirds of those Goods being brought from Norway in Foreign Bottoms, Danes and Swedes, and in Ships navigated by Foreign Seamen, to whom is frequently paid dead Freight, in ready Cash, which they carry away with them in Specie--they would be wholly carried in our own Ships from hence, New-England built, and navigated by our own Seamen--And instead of a few English Ships that are now Employed in the Norway Trade, we should have at least one Thousand Sail of them every Year, and mostly Ships of Burden; besides the Benefit of building, repairing and fitting out so many Ships, it would be a Nursery of 15000 Seamen, which occasionally may answer some other Ends of Government.

We shall be furnished with Remittances, which now we are in so great want of to pay the Ballance of our Trade in England; The Quantities of British Goods which we now consume, infinitely exceed what we have of our own Growth to pay in Return. Whereas, in Case such Bounties are given on our Produce, we should always send for as many Goods as we could Consume; as we then should have Means to pay for them--and this Demand for the English Manufactures would increase as our Numbers, and our Union with, and Subjection to Great-Britain would be the Being of THIS TRADE.

And what above all is now mostly wanted, great Sums of Money would be brought from the Islands in the West-Indies, which would stay with us, and not be snatched up for Remittances: but it would Circulate throughout all the Continent, and make a Paper Medium unnecessary. --Let Great-Britain consider what an amazing and inestimable Fortune she has in America, and that derived from meer Nothing, or next to Nothing; for but a Century and a half ago, it was in an Embryo, and some part of it not in being, as to Trade, Viz. New-York and the Jersies, Pennsilvania and the Carolinas--Let her also reflect upon what a glorious Trade she has and would continue to have increased, of supplying a Million of her Subjects with her own Manufactures, which must forever tye us down by that immortal and indissoluble Bond OUR TRUE INTEREST.

When these Encouragements are given, and this Trade is once Established, Great-Britain will never after want vent for her Commodities, nor will America ever complain of the decay of Trade: but if she continues to clog the Wheels of Trade, Such Establishments will be made, as will eventually oblige many Reputable Tradesmen and their Dependants to come over to America for support of themselves and Families--The Necessaries of Life will be soon extreme low, and sufficient to support 50,000 British Manufacturers, to whom great Encouragement will be given.

Portsmouth, October 25th.
Americanus.