Thismodeoftaxation，ithasalreadybeenobserved，whenappliedtoobjectsofaspeedyconsumptionisnotaveryconvenientone。
Itmightbeadopted，however，incaseswherenobettercouldbedone。
Sugar，rum，andtobaccoarecommoditieswhicharenowherenecessariesoflife，whicharebecomeobjectsofalmostuniversalconsumption，andwhicharethereforeextremelypropersubjectsoftaxation。Ifaunionwiththecoloniesweretotakeplace，thosecommoditiesmightbetaxedeitherbeforetheygooutofthehandsofthemanufacturerorgrower，orifthismodeoftaxationdidnotsuitthecircumstancesofthosepersons，theymightbedepositedinpublicwarehousesbothattheplaceofmanufacture，andatallthedifferentportsoftheempiretowhichtheymightafterwardsbetransported，toremainthere，underthejointcustodyoftheownerandtherevenueofficer，tillsuchtimeastheyshouldbedeliveredouteithertotheconsumer，tothemerchantretailerforhomeconsumption，ortothemerchantexporter，thetaxnottobeadvancedtillsuchdelivery。Whendeliveredoutforexportation，togodutyfreeuponpropersecuritybeinggiventhattheyshouldreallybeexportedoutoftheempire。TheseareperhapstheprincipalcommoditieswithregardtowhichaunionwiththecoloniesmightrequiresomeconsiderablechangeinthepresentsystemofBritishtaxation。
Whatmightbetheamountoftherevenuewhichthissystemoftaxationextendedtoallthedifferentprovincesoftheempiremightproduce，itmust，nodoubt，bealtogetherimpossibletoascertainwithtolerableexactness。BymeansofthissystemthereisannuallyleviedinGreatBritain，uponlessthaneightmillionsofpeople，morethantenmillionsofrevenue。Irelandcontainsmorethantwomillionsofpeople，andaccordingtotheaccountslaidbeforethecongress，thetwelveassociatedprovincesofAmericacontainmorethanthree。Thoseaccounts，however，mayhavebeenexaggerated，inorder，perhaps，eithertoencouragetheirownpeople，ortointimidatethoseofthiscountry，andweshallsuppose，therefore，thatourNorthAmericanandWestIndiancoloniestakentogethercontainnomorethanthreemillions;orthatthewholeBritishempire，inEuropeandAmerica，containsnomorethanthirteenmillionsofinhabitants。
Ifuponlessthaneightmillionsofinhabitantsthissystemoftaxationraisesarevenueofmorethantenmillionssterling，itoughtuponthirteenmillionsofinhabitantstoraisearevenueofmorethansixteenmillionstwohundredandfiftythousandpoundssterling。Fromthisrevenue，supposingthatthissystemcouldproduceit，mustbedeductedtherevenueusuallyraisedinIrelandandtheplantationsfordefrayingtheexpenseoftheirrespectivecivilgovernments。TheexpenseofthecivilandmilitaryestablishmentofIreland，togetherwiththeinterestofthepublicdebt，amounts，atamediumofthetwoyearswhichendedMarch1775，tosomethinglessthansevenhundredandfiftythousandpoundsayear。ByaveryexactaccountoftherevenueoftheprincipalcoloniesofAmericaandtheWestIndies，itamounted，beforethecommencementofthepresentdisturbances，toahundredandforty—onethousandeighthundredpounds。Inthisaccount，however，therevenueofMaryland，ofNorthCarolina，andofallourlateacquisitionsbothuponthecontinentandintheislandsisomitted，whichmayperhapsmakeadifferenceofthirtyorfortythousandpounds。Forthesakeofevennumbers，therefore，letussupposethattherevenuenecessaryforsupportingthecivilgovernmentofIrelandandtheplantationsmayamounttoamillion。Therewouldremainconsequentlyarevenueoffifteenmillionstwohundredandfiftythousandpoundstobeappliedtowardsdefrayingthegeneralexpenseoftheempire，andtowardspayingthepublicdebt。ButiffromthepresentrevenueofGreatBritainamillioncouldinpeaceabletimesbesparedtowardsthepaymentofthatdebt，sixmillionstwohundredandfiftythousandpoundscouldverywellbesparedfromthisimprovedrevenue。Thisgreatsinkingfund，too，mightbeaugmentedeveryyearbytheinterestofthedebtwhichhadbeendischargedtheyearbefore，andmightinthismannerincreasesoveryrapidlyastobesufficientinafewyearstodischargethewholedebt，andthustorestorecompletelytheatpresentdebilitatedandlanguishingvigouroftheempire。Inthemeantimethepeoplemightberelievedfromsomeofthemostburdensometaxes;fromthosewhichareimposedeitheruponthenecessariesoflife，oruponthematerialsofmanufacture。Thelabouringpoorwouldthusbeenabledtolivebetter，toworkcheaper，andtosendtheirgoodscheapertomarket。Thecheapnessoftheirgoodswouldincreasethedemandforthem，andconsequentlyforthelabourofthosewhoproducedthem。Thisincreaseinthedemandforlabourwouldbothincreasethenumbersandimprovethecircumstancesofthelabouringpoor。Theirconsumptionwouldincrease，andtogetherwithittherevenuearisingfromallthosearticlesoftheirconsumptionuponwhichthetaxesmightbeallowedtoremain。