"That an act made in the seventh year of the reign of his present
Majesty, intituled, 'An act for granting certain duties in the
British colonies and plantations in America; for allowing a
drawback of the duties of customs upon the exportation from this
kingdom of coffee and cocoa-nuts, of the produce of the said
colonies or plantations; for discontinuing the drawbacks payable on
china earthenware exported to America; and for more effectually
preventing the clandestine running of goods in the said colonies
and plantations, might be read."

And the same being read accordingly, he moved,--

"That this House will, upon this day sevennight, resolve itself
into a committee of the whole House, to take into consideration the
duty of three-pence per pound weight upon tea, payable in all his
Majesty's dominions in America, imposed by the said act; and also
the appropriation of the said duty."

On this latter motion a warm and interesting debate arose, in which
Mr. Burke spoke as follows.

Sir,--I agree with the honorable gentleman[1] who spoke last, that this
subject is not new in this House. Very disagreeably to this House, very
unfortunately to this nation, and to the peace and prosperity of this
whole empire, no topic has been more familiar to us. For nine long
years, session after session, we have been lashed round and round this
miserable circle of occasional arguments and temporary expedients. I am
sure our heads must turn and our stomachs nauseate with them. We have
had them in every shape; we have looked at them in every point of view.
Invention is exhausted; reason is fatigued; experience has given