There has been an accession to both these trades, produced by the cessions at the treaty of Paris, not touched upon by Dr. Franklin. The average _annual_ export-trade, from 1770 to 1773 inclusively, to the ceded West India islands, amounted to 258,299_l._: to the ceded North American territory it has been 280,423_l._ See Sir Charles Whitworth's State of Trade. B. V.]
[45] _Copy of the Report of Governor Hopkins to the Board of Trade, on the Numbers of People in Rhode-Island._
In obedience to your lordships' commands, I have caused the within account to be taken by officers under oath. By it there appears to be in this colony at this time 35,939 white persons, and 4697 blacks, chiefly negroes.
In the year 1730, by order of the then lords commissioners of trade and plantations, an account was taken of the number of people in this colony, and then there appeared to be 15,302 white persons, and 2633 blacks.
Again in the year 1748, by like order, an account was taken of the number of people in this colony, by which it appears there were at that time 29,755 white persons, and 4373 blacks.
_Colony of Rhode Island, Dec. 24, 1755._ STEPHEN HOPKINS.
[46] _An Account of the Value of the Exports from England to Pensylvania, in one Year, taken at different Periods, viz._
In 1723 they amounted only to £. 15,992 19 4 1730 they were 48,592 7 5 1737 56,690 6 7 1742 75,295 3 4 1747 82,404 17 7 1752 201,666 19 11 1757 268,426 6 6
N. B. The accounts for 1758 and 1759, are not yet completed; but those acquainted with the North American trade know, that the increase in those two years has been in a still greater proportion; the last year being supposed to exceed any former year by a third; and this owing to the increased ability of the people to spend, from the greater quantities of money circulating among them by the war.
[47] The _aid_ Dr. Franklin alludes to must probably have consisted in early and full supplies of arms, officers, intelligence, and trade of export and of import, through the river St. Lawrence, on risques both public and private; in the encouragement of splendid promises and a great ally; in the passage from Canada to the back settlements, being _shut_ to the British _forces_; in the quiet of the _great body_ of Indians; in the support of emissaries and discontented citizens; in loans and subsidies to congress, in ways _profitable to France_; in a refuge to be granted them in case of defeat, in vacant lands, as settlers; in the probability of war commencing earlier between England and France, at the gulph of St. Lawrence (when the shipping taken, were _rightfully_ addressed to Frenchmen) than in the present case. All this might have happened, as soon as America's distaste of the sovereign had exceeded the fear of the foreigner; a circumstance frequently seen possible in history, and which our ministers took care should not be wanting.