19¢ Benjamin Franklin [1775 
might otherwise be expected from us in time of 
peace. And we hereby declare that on a reconcilia- 
tion with Britain we shall not only continue to grant 
aids in time of war as aforesaid, but whenever she 
shall think fit to abolish her monopoly, and give us 
the same privileges of trade as Scotland received at 
the union, and allow us a free commerce with all the 
rest of the world, we shall willingly agree (and we 
doubt not it will be ratified by our constituents) to 
give and pay into the sinking fund [one hundred 
thousand pounds] sterling per annum for the term of 
one hundred years; which duly, faithfully, and in- 
violably applied for that purpose, is demonstrably 
more than sufficient to extinguish all her present 
national debt; since it will in that time amount, at 
legal British interest, to more than [two hundred and 
thirty millions of pounds.’] 
But if Britain does not think fit to accept this 
proposition, we, in order to remove her groundless 
jealousies, that we aim at independence, and an aboli- 
tion of the Navigation Act (which hath in truth never 
been our intention), and to avoid all future disputes 
about the right of making that and other acts for 
regulating our commerce, do hereby declare our- 
selves ready and willing to enter into a covenant with 
Britain, that she shall fully possess, enjoy, and exer- 
cise that right for a hundred years to come, the same 
being bona fide used for the common benefit; and, in 
case of such agreement, that every Assembly be ad- 
vised by us to confirm it solemnly by laws of their 
1 See Dr. Price's Appeal on the National Debt. 
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