The sugar colonists combined together, and obtained an act against the trade carried on from the British northern provinces to the Dutch and French colonies, for foreign rum, sugar, and molasses. The act passed in 1733, laid a duty of nine-pence a gallon on rum, six-pence a gallon on molasses, and five pounds on every hundred weight of sugar, that came not from the British West-India islands, and were brought into the nothern colonies. It was professedly designed as a prohibition from the foreign islands; but did not answer. It was found expedient, and for the general benefit, to admit of the molasses, &c. being mostly run into the colonies, without insisting upon the duties, or making frequent seizures. The act unhappily produced an illegal spirit of trading; but was continued by subsequent ones down to 1761; when the duty on the molasses was reduced to three-pence, to prevent its being run any longer. The act did not oppropriate the monies to be raised by the duties, so that when, in length of time, there was a sum in the hands of the receiver worth remitting, a demur ensued as to the application of it. The monies produced by this and other acts, were not considered as real _taxes_, either by the colonies or the mother country. But some persons wished to have taxes imposed upon them which would necessarily produce many good posts and places in _America_ for courtiers; and during the war with _Spain_, which broke out in 1739, a sheme for taxing the _British_ colonies was mentioned to Sir _Robert Walpole_. He smiled, and said, “I will leave that to some of my successors, who have more courage than I have, and are less friends to commerce than I am. It has been a maxim with me, during my administration, to encourage the trade of the _American_ colonies in the utmost latitude; nay, it has been necessary to pass over some irregularities in their trade with _Europe_; for by encouraging them to an extensive growing foreign commerce, if they gain £.500,000 I am convinced, that in two years afterwards full £.250,000 of their gains will be in his majesty’s exchequer, by the labour and produce of this kingdom, as immense quantities of every kind of our manufactures go thither; and as they increase in their foreign American trade, more of our produce will be wanted. This is taxing them more agreeably to their own constitution and ours.” Had the scheme for taxing the colonies been attempted, it would have occasioned a ferment that must have prevented those exertions in the common cause, which were given into by the _New-Englanders_, especially the _Bay-men_, so the inhabitants of the _Massachusetts Bay_ are frequently called. War being declared against _Spain_, a requisition of troops was made to the _Massachusetts_, and a larger number raised and embarked on his majesty’s service than was required, of whom, scarce one in fifty returned.