The Virginia Gazette

It is well known to all the commercial world, says a correspondent, that the American colonies are much the best branch of trade belonging to this kingdom, not only because the productions of sugar, tobacco, rice, and indigo, do not interfere with the produce of the mother country; but because they take off more of its manufactures than any, if not all, the other branches of the British commerce. But the trade of our colonies has this peculiar advantage, above all the branches of foreign commerce, that Britain may enjoy it for a perpetuity. All foreign trade may be prohibited, or loaded with duties amounting to a prohibition; but no foreign power can affect our own colonies. Britain may enjoy that trade for ever, with proper care, protection, and encouragement. Even those of our colonies which produce not sugar, tobacco, rice, or indigo, and consequently add little to the revenue of Britain; yet they support a large navigation, and, being cold countries, take off abundance of our woollen and other manufactures, and supply our people in deficient harvests with bread and rice.