176. Essays 3 
made by their ships, centre finally in Britain to dis- 
charge the balance, and pay for British manufactures 
continually used in the provinces, or sold to foreigners 
by our traders. 
Q. Have you heard of any difficulties lately laid 
on the Spanish trade? 
A. Yes; Ihave heard that it has been greatly ob- 
structed by some new regulations, and by the Eng- 
lish men-of-war and cutters stationed all along the 
coast in America. 
Q. Do you think it right that America should be 
protected by this country and pay no part of the 
expense? 
A. That is not the case. The colonies raised, 
clothed, and paid, during the last war, near twenty- 
five thousand men, and spent many millions. 
Q. Were you not reimbursed by Parliament? 
A. We were only reimbursed what, in your opin- 
ion, we had advanced beyond our proportion, or be- 
yond what might reasonably be expected from us; 
and it was a very small part of what we spent. 
Pennsylvania, in particular, disbursed about five 
hundred thousand pounds, and the reimbursements, 
in the whole, did not exceed sixty thousand pounds. 
Q. You have said that you pay heavy taxes in 
Pennsylvania; what do they amount to in the 
pound? 
A. The tax on all estates, real and personal, is 
eighteen pence in the pound, fully rated; and the tax 
on the profits of trades and professions, with other 
taxes, do, I suppose, make full half a crown in the 
pound. 
46] 3.