The following is the cost of carriage from Birmingham, &c. viz.
| From Birmingham to London, is | 4s. per cwt. |
| From Walsall in Staffordshire | 5s. |
| From Sheffield | 8s. |
| From Warrington | 7s. |
If the lands which are at present under consideration are, as the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations say, "out of all advantageous intercourse with this kingdom," we are at a loss to conceive by what standard that Board calculates the rate of "advantageous intercourse."—If the King's subjects, settled over the Allegany mountains, and on the Ohio, within the new-erected county of Bedford, in the province of Pennsylvania, are altogether cloathed with British manufacture, as is the case, is that country "out of all advantageous intercourse with this kingdom?"—If merchants in London are now actually shipping British manufactures for the use of the very settlers on the lands in question, does that exportation come within the Lords Commissioners description of what is "out of all advantageous intercourse with this kingdom?" In short, the Lords Commissioners admit, upon their own principles, that it is a political and advantageous intercourse with this kingdom, when the settlements and settlers are confined to the Eastern side of the Allegany mountains. Shall then the expence of carriage, even of the very coarsest and heaviest cloths, or other articles, from the mountains to the Ohio, only about 70 miles, and which will not, at most, encrease the price of carriage above a halfpenny a yard, convert the trade and connexion with the settlers on the Ohio, into a predicament "that shall be, as the Lords Commissioners have said, out of all advantageous intercourse with this kingdom?"—On the whole, "if the poor Indians in the remote parts of North America are now able to pay for the linens, woollens, and iron ware, they are furnished with by English traders, though Indians have nothing but what they get by hunting, and the goods are loaded with all the impositions fraud and knavery can contrive, to inhance their value; will not industrious English farmers," employed in the culture of hemp, flax, silk, &c. "be able to pay for what shall be brought to them in the fair way of commerce;" and especially when it is remembered, that there is no other allowable market for the sale of these articles than in this kingdom?—And if "the growths of the country find their way out of it, will not the manufactures of this kingdom, where the hemp, &c. must be sent to, find their way into it?"
Whether Nova Scotia, and East and West Florida have yielded advantages and returns equal to the enormous sums expended in founding and supporting them, or even advantages, such as the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, in their representation of 1768, seemed to expect, it is not our business to investigate:—it is, we presume, sufficient for us to mention, that those "many principal persons in Pennsylvania," as is observed in the representation, "whose names and association lie before your Majesty in Council, for the purpose of making settlements in Nova Scotia," have, several years since, been convinced of the impracticability of exciting settlers to move from the middle colonies, and settle in that province; and even of those who were prevailed on to go to Nova Scotia, the greater part of them returned with great complaints against the severity and length of the Winters.
As to East and West Florida, it is, we are persuaded, morally impossible to force the people of the middle provinces, between 37 and 40 degrees North latitude (where there is plenty of vacant land in their own temperate climate) to remove to the scorching, unwholesome heats of these provinces[4]. The inhabitants of Montpelier might as soon and as easily be persuaded to remove to the Northern parts of Russia, or to Senegal.—In short, it is contending with Nature, and the experience of all ages, to attempt to compel a people, born and living in a temperate climate, and in the neighbourhood of a rich, healthful, and uncultivated country, to travel several hundred miles to a sea port in order to make a voyage to sea; and settle either in extreme hot or cold latitudes. If the county of York was vacant and uncultivated, and the more Southern inhabitants of this island were in want of land, would they suffer themselves to be driven to the North of Scotland?—Would they not, in spite of all opposition, first possess themselves of that fertile country?—Thus much we have thought necessary to remark, in respect to the general principles laid down in the representation of 1768; and we hope we have shewn, that the arguments therein made use of, do not in any degree militate against the subject in question; but that they were intended, and do solely apply to "new colonies proposed to be established," as the representation says, "at an expence to this kingdom," at the distance of "above 1500 miles from the sea, which from their inability to find returns, wherewith to pay for the manufactures of Great Britain, will be probably led to manufacture for themselves, as they would," continues the representation, "be separated from the old colonies by immense tracts of unpeopled desart."—
It now only remains for us to enquire, whether it was the intention of the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations in 1768, that the territory, which would be included within the boundary line, then negociating with the Indians (and which was the one that was that year perfected) should continue a useless wilderness, or be settled and occupied by his Majesty's subjects.—The very representation itself, which the present Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations say, contains "every argument on the subject," furnishes us an ample and satisfactory solution to this important question.—The Lord Commissioners in 1768, after pronouncing their opinion against the proposed three new governments, as above stated, declare, "They ought to be carefully guarded against, by encouraging the settlement of that extensive tract of sea coast hitherto unoccupied; which, say their Lordships, together with the liberty, that the inhabitants of the middle colonies will have (in consequence of the proposed boundary line with the Indians) of gradually extending themselves backwards, will more effectually and beneficially answer the object of encouraging population and consumption, than the erection of new governments; such gradual extension might, through the medium of a continual population, upon even the same extent of territory, preserve a communication of mutual commercial benefits between its extremest parts and Great Britain, impossible to exist in colonies separated by immense tracts of unpeopled desart."—Can any opinion be more clear and conclusive, in favour of the proposition which we have humbly submitted to his Majesty?—for their Lordships positively say, that the inhabitants of the middle colonies will have liberty of gradually extending themselves backwards;—but is it not very extraordinary, that after near two years deliberation, the present Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations should make a report to the Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council, and therein expressly refer to that opinion of 1768, in which, they say, "every argument on the subject is collected together with great force and precision," and yet that, almost in the same breath, their Lordships "should contravene that very opinion, and advise his Majesty to check the progress of their settlements?"—And that "settlements in that distant part of the country ought to be discouraged as much as possible, and another proclamation should be issued declaratory of his Majesty's resolution, not to allow, for the present, any new settlement beyond the line;"—to wit, beyond the Allegany mountains?—How strange and contradictory is this conduct?—But we forbear any strictures upon it;—and shall conclude our remarks on this head, by stating the opinion, at different times, of the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, on this subject.
In 1748, their Lordships expressed the strongest desire to promote settlements over the mountains and on the Ohio.—
In 1768—The then Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations declared, (in consequence of the boundary line at that time negociating)—That the inhabitants of the middle colonies would have liberty of gradually extending themselves backwards.
In 1770—The Earl of Hillsborough actually recommended the purchase of a tract of land over the mountains, sufficient for a new colony, and then went down to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, to know, whether their Lordships would treat with Mr. Walpole and his associates, for such purchase.
In 1772—The Earl of Hillsborough, and the other Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, made a report on the petition of Mr. Walpole and his associates, and referred to the representation of the Board of Trade in 1768, "as containing every argument on the subject, collected together with force and precision;"—which representation declared, as we have shewn, "That the inhabitants of the middle colonies will have liberty to extend backwards," on the identical lands in question; and yet, notwithstanding such reference, so strongly made from the present Board of Trade to the opinion of that Board,—the Earl of Hillsborough, and the other Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, have now, in direct terms, reported against the absolute engagement and opinion of the Board in 1768.