intention, which I cannot attribute to those who say the same thing in
this House,) that Mr. Grenville gave the colony agents an option for
their assemblies to tax themselves, which they had refused. I find that
much stress is laid on this, as a fact. However, it happens neither to
be true nor possible. I will observe, first, that Mr. Grenville never
thought fit to make this apology for himself in the innumerable debates
that were had upon the subject. He might have proposed to the colony
agents, that they should agree in some mode of taxation as the ground of
an act of Parliament. But he never could have proposed that they should
tax themselves on requisition, which is, the assertion of the day.
Indeed, Mr. Grenville well knew that the colony agents could have no
general powers to consent to it; and they had no time to consult their
assemblies for particular powers, before he passed his first revenue
act. If you compare dates, you will find it impossible. Burdened as the
agents knew the colonies were at that time, they could not give the
least hope of such grants. His own favorite governor was of opinion that
the Americans were not then taxable objects.

"Nor was the time less favorable to the _equity_ of such a taxation. I
don't mean to dispute the reasonableness of America contributing to the
charges of Great Britain, _when she is able_; nor, I believe, would the
Americans themselves have disputed it at a _proper time and season_. But
it should be considered, that the American governments themselves have,
in the prosecution of the late war, contracted very large debts, which
it will take some years to pay off, and in the mean time occasion very
_burdensome taxes for that purpose_ only. For instance, this government,
which is as much beforehand as any, raises every year 37,500_l._
sterling for sinking their debt, and must continue it for four years
longer at least before it will be clear."