176. Essays 3
made by their ships, centre finally in Britain to discharge
 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 obstructed
 by some new regulations, and by the English
 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 twentyfive
 thousand men, and spent many millions.
Q. Were you not reimbursed by Parliament?
A. We were only reimbursed what, in your opinion,
 we had advanced beyond our proportion, or beyond
 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.