[Nov. 18.] The Massachusetts petition was forwarded by governor Bernard, and accompanied with a letter to lord _Halifax_; in which he wrote, “Massachusetts is the only one of the old colonies, that I know of, that enjoys a specie currency. This reflects great honor upon the province itself, as it is a great instance of their prudence, who took hold of a singular opportunity to destroy their paper money, which other colonies who had it equally in their power neglected. But I fear, that if the great sums which are expected to be raised in America are to be transported to Great-Britain, there will soon be an end to the specie currency of the Massachusetts, which will be followed by a total discouragement for other provinces to attempt the same in future. In which case, perpetual paper money, the very negative power of riches, will be the portion of America.” After arguing against the duties, from America’s being unable, for want of a sufficient specie currency, to pay them without being drained of their specie, as it would require a dead stock of three years value of the annual income of the revenues, he added, “If due care be taken to confine the sale of manufactures and Eoropean goods (except what shall be permitted) to Great-Britain only, all the profits of the American foreign trade will necessarily centre in Great-Britain; and therefore if the first purpose is well secured, the foreign American trade is the trade of Great-Britain. The augmentation and diminution, the extension and restriction, the profit and loss of it all, finally comes home to the mother country. It is the interest of Great-Britain, that the trade to both the Spanish and French West-Indies should be encouraged as much as may well be, and the British West-Indies should be taught that equitable maxim, _live and let live_. It appeared to be the decided opinion of the governor, that the sending home the produce of the duties and taxes proposed, would take from the Americans the means of trade, and render it impracticable for them to make remittances to Great-Britain. The _Virginia_ council and house of burgesses petitioned the king, presented a memorial to the house of lords, ramonstrated to the house of commons. _New-York_, _Rhode-Island_, &c. petitioned. The _New-York_ petition was conceived in such strong terms, and deemed so inflammatory, that their agent could not prevail on any one member of the house to present it. The colonies denied the _parliamentary right of taxation_ many months before any member of the British parliament uttered a single syllable to that purpose: and the American opposition to the stamp act was fully formed before it was known by the colonists that their cause was espoused by any man of note at home, as _Britain_ is stiled.