Colonial Taxation Quotes

No representation of the Colonies in parliament alone, would however be equivalent to a subordinate legislative among themselves; nor so well answer the ends of increasing their prosperity and the commerce of Great-Britain. It would be impossible for the Parliament to judge so well, of their abilities to bear taxes, impositions on trade, and other duties and burdens, or of the local laws that might be really needful, as a legislative here.

Every good Englishman, abstracted from all regard for America, must oppose … being taxed by the British Parliament. For my own part, I am convinced that no argument … can be produced in support of this right.

Margaret Thatcher's decision to use Scotland as a testing ground for the poll tax was arguably the most disastrous attempt at fiscal engineering since London slapped the stamp tax on the American colonies in the 1760s.

While 18th century Americans objected to taxation without representation, they also objected equally to taxation with representation.

By today's standards King George III was a very mild tyrant indeed. He taxed his American colonists at a rate of only pennies per annum. His actual impact on their personal lives was trivial. He had arbitrary power over them in law and in principle but in fact it was seldom exercised. If you compare his rule with that of today's U.S. Government you have to wonder why we celebrate our independence.

Did you ever get to wondering if taxation without representation might have been cheaper?

When the stamp-act was made, the authority of parliament to impose internal taxes was denied, but their right to impose external ones … to lay duties upon goods … was admitted. When the act was made imposing duties upon tea, … a new distinction was set up, that the parliament had a right to lay duties … for the purpose of regulating trade but not for the purpose of raising a revenue.

There is not that intimate and inseparable relation between the electors of Great-Britain, and the inhabitants of the colonies, which must inevitably involve both in the same taxation; on the contrary, not a single actual elector in England might be immediately affected by a taxation in America, imposed by a statute which would have a general operation and effect, upon the properties of the inhabitants of the colonies. The latter might be oppressed in a thousand shapes, without any sympathy, or exciting any alarm in the former.

The authority of Parliament is valid in all laws, except such as should lay internal taxes; it was never disputed in laying duties to regulate commerce; The Americans would never submit to the Stamp Act, or to any other tax on the same principle; North America would contribute to the support of Great Britain if engaged in a war in Europe

The pre-war empire had been sufficiently informal and sufficiently cheap for Parliament to claim authority over it without having to concern itself too much about what this authority entailed. The post-war empire necessitated a much greater investment in administrative machinery and military force. This build-up of control had to be paid for, either by British taxpayers or by their colonists.

Many attempts had been made by colonial legislatures to cut off or to tax the importation of slaves.

A right to impose an internal tax on the colonies, without their consent for the single purpose of revenue, is denied, a right to regulate their trade without their consent is, admitted.

On March 10, 1764, preliminary resolutions passed the House of Commons looking towards the Stamp Act.

The Massachusetts Land Bank, during Colonial times, prospered, and brought prosperity to the community, until it was forcibly suppressed by special act of Parliament.

Considering the utter impracticability of their ever being fully and equally represented in Parliament, and the great expense that must unavoidably attend even a partial representation there [in England], this House think that a taxation of their constituents, even without their consent, grievous as it is, would be preferable to any representation that could be admitted for them there.

The Navigation Acts subject me to a much greater tax than any person of equal fortune on the other side of the Atlantic [England].