16 BRITISH AMERICAN COLONIES.

gracious and illiberal treatment. Satisfied with the general profits of their commerce, England left it open to every individual in her dominions; and did not either confine it to particular ports, like Spain and Portugal, nor sell it, as France and Holland did, to a company of traders.

With the exceptions of the northern climes of Europe and the East Indies, the British colonists were permitted to trade with all parts, in a variety of articles. In all the American hemisphere, in Africa, along all the coasts of the Mediterranean, Portugal, and Spain, the vessels of British America enjoyed a lucrafive connnerce; and they had the anqflest liberty of trading with the English West India islands. Rum, sugar, with the produce of their fish- eries, they were allowed to carry to all the markets to which they traded; so that, although a number of articles were exclusively appropriated to an import~ ation to Great Britain, yet there was enough left for the colonies, particularly when we consider that the countries they possessed gave them so much occupa- tion at home.

England,on planting the American colonies, granted them the full privilege of governing themselves, and the right of forming such laws as the wisdom of their respective legislatures should consider necessary ; and, in giving them such ample powers to provide for their interest and prosperity, only reserved the political connexion under the same sovereign, with the general benefit resulting to the empire from their

trade. 4