trade between the two countries on account of thefe difputes; or that if there is, it is fmall, and cannot long continue. They are affured by the crown-officers in America, that manufactures are impoffible there; that the difcontented are few, and perfons of little confequence; that almost all the people of property and importance are satisfied, and difpofed to fubmit quietly to the taxing power of parliament; and that, if the revenue-acts are continued, and those duties only that are called anti-commercial be repealed, and others perhaps laid in their stead; power ere long will be patiently submitted to, and the agreements not to import be broken, when they are found to produce no change of measures here. From these and fimilar misinformations, which feem to be credited, I think it likely that no thorough redress of grievances will be afforded to America this Seffion. This may inflame matters ftill more in that country; farther rash measures there, may create more refentment here; that may produce not merely ill-advifed diffolutions of their affemblies, as last year, but attempts to diffolve their conftitution*; more troops may be fent over, which will create more uneasiness; to justify the measures of government, your writers will revile the Americans in your newspapers, as they have already begun to do; treating them as mifcreants, rogues, daftards, rebels, &c. to alienate the minds of the people here from them, and which will tend

[This was afterwards attempted by the British legislature, in the cafe of the Maffachufett's Bay province. E.]

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farther

farther to diminish their affections to this country. Pofiibly too, fome of their warm patriots may be diftracted enough to expofe themselves by fome mad action to be fent for hither; and government here be indifcreet enough to hang them, on the act of Henry VIII. Mutual provocations will thus go on to complete the feparation; and inftead of that cordial affection that once and fo long exifted, and that harmony fo fuitable to the circumstances, and so neceffary to the happiness, ftrength, fafety, and welfare of both countries; an implacable malice and mutual hatred, fuch as we now fee fubfifting between the Spaniards and Portuguefe, the Genoefe and Corficans, from the fame original misconduct in the superior governments, will take place: the fameness of nation, the fimilarity of religion, manners, and language, not in the least preventing in our cafe, more than it did in theirs.-I hope, however, that this may all prove falfe prophecy, and that and I may live to fee as fincere and perfect a friendship eftablished between our refpective countries, as has fo many years fubfifted between Mr. Strahan, and

his truly affectionate old friend,

you

B. FRANKLIN.

+ [The lords and commons very prudently concurred in an addrefs for this purpofe; and the king graciously affured them of his compliance with their wishes. E.].

A

A PRUSSIAN EDICT, &c.

Dantzick, Sept. 5, 1773 *

WE E have long wondered here at the fupineness of the English nation, under the Pruffian impofitions upon its trade entering our port. We did not, till lately, know the claims, ancient and modern, that hang over that nation; and therefore could not fufpect that it might submit to those impofitions from a sense of duty, or from principles of equity. The following edict, juft made public, may, if ferious, throw fome light upon this matter:

FREDERICK, by the grace of God, King of • Pruffia, &c. &c. &c. to all prefent and to come ‡, health. The peace now enjoyed throughout Our ⚫ dominions, having afforded us leifure to apply Ourselves to the regulation of commerce, the improvement of Our finances, and at the fame time the eafing Our domeftic subjects in their taxes for these causes, and other good confiderations Us thereunto moving, We hereby make known,' that, after having deliberated these affairs in Our council, present Our dear brothers, and other great officers of the state,

[This Intelligence extraordinary, I believe, firft appeared in the Public Advertiser. I have reprinted it from a copy which I found in the Gentleman's Magazine. E.]

A tous prefens et à venir. ORIGINAL.

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• members

members of the fame; We, of Our certain knowledge, full power, and authority royal, have made and iffued this prefent edict, viz.

• Whereas it is well known to all the world, that the first German fettlements made in the • island of Britain, were by colonies of people, subject to Our renowned ducal ancestors, and ⚫ drawn from their dominions, under the conduct of Hengift, Horfa, Hella, Uffa, Cerdicus, Ida, and others; And that the faid colonies have flourished under the protection of Our august • house, for ages paft; have never been emancipated therefrom; and yet have hitherto yielded ⚫ little profit to the fame: And whereas We Our⚫ felf have in the last war fought for and defended the faid colonies, against the power of France, ⚫ and thereby enabled them to make conquefts ⚫ from the faid power in America; for which We have not yet received adequate compenfation: • And whereas it is just and expedient that a revenue fhould be raised from the faid colonies in Britain, towards Our indemnification; and that • those who are defcendents of Our ancient subjects, and thence ftill owe Us due obedience, fhould contribute to the replenishing of Our royal coffers; (as they must have done, had their ⚫ ancestors remained in the territories now to Us appertaining):-We do therefore hereby ordain • and command, That, from and after the date ⚫ of these presents, there fhall be levied, and paid to Our officers of the customs, on all goods, wares, and merchandizes, and on all grain and

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• other produce of the earth, exported from the faid island of Britain, and on all goods of what• ever kind imported into the fame; a duty of four and a half per cent. ad valorem, for the ufe of Us and Our fucceffors.-And that the ⚫ faid duty may more effectually be collected, We • do hereby ordain, that all ships or veffels bound from Great Britain to any other part of the ⚫ world, or from any other part of the world to • Great Britain, fhall in their respective voyages ⚫ touch at Our port of Koningsberg, there to be unladen, searched, and charged with the faid • duties.

And whereas there hath been from time to ⚫ time discovered in the faid ifland of Great Britain, by our colonists there, many mines or beds of iron-ftone; and fundry fubjects of Our ancient ⚫ dominion, skilful in converting the said stone into metal, have in time paft tranfported themfelves thither, carrying with them and communicating that art; and the inhabitants of the faid ifland, prefuming that they had a natural right to make the best use they could of the natural • productions of their country, for their own be⚫nefit, have not only built furnaces for fmelting the faid ftone into iron, but have erected plating-forges, flitting-mills, and fteel-furnaces, for ⚫ the more convenient manufacturing of the fame; thereby endangering a diminution of the faid manufacture in Our ancient dominion ;-We do therefore hereby farther ordain, That, from and. after the date hereof, no mill or other engine for flitting

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