; Essays
the number of people, were intended to make the opposition
to the Stamp Act in America appear more formidable. He
asked some others here that the clerk has omitted, particularly
one, that I remember.
“There had been a considerable party in the House for
saving the honor and right of Parliament, by retaining the
Act, and yet making it tolerable to America, by reducing it to
a stamp on commissions for profitable offices, and on cards
and dice. I had, in conversation with many of them, ob-
jected to this, as it would require an establishment for the
distributors, which would be a great expense, as the stamps
would not be sufficient to pay them, and so the odium and
contention would be kept up for nothing. The notion of
amending, however, still continued, and one of the most ac-
tive of the members for promoting it told me, he was sure I
could, if I would, assist them to amend the Act in such a
manner, that America should have little or no objection to it.
‘I must confess,’ says I, ‘I have thought of one amendment;
if you will make it, the Act may remain, and yet the Ameri-
cans will be quieted. It is a very small amendment, too; it
is only the change of a single word.” ‘Ay,’ says he, ‘what is
that?’ ‘It is in that clause where it is said, ‘‘ that from and
after the first day of November, one thousand seven hundred
and sixty-five, there shall be paid,” &c. The amendment I
would propose is, for one read two, and then all the rest of the
Act may stand as it does. I believe it will give nobody in
America any uneasiness.” Mr. Huske had heard of this, and,
desiring to bring out the same answer in the House, asked
me whether I could not propose a small amendment, that
would make the Act palatable. But, as I thought the answer
he wanted too light and ludicrous for the House, I evaded
the question.
“Qu. 27, 28, 29, I think these were by Mr. Grenville, but I
am not certain.—Qu. 30, 31, I know not who asked them.—
Qu. 32 to 35, asked by Mr. Nugent, who was against us. His
drift was to establish a notion he had entertained, that the
people in America had a crafty mode of discouraging the
766] 121
