' On the fifth of March, 1770, while the motion of Lord Xorth for " leave to bring in a Bill to repeal the Tax Act, as far as related to the "tax on Paper, Glass, and Painters" Colours," was under consideration, before the House of Commons, Governor Pownall, than whom noono was, then, better informed on every subject connected with .Vmerica and the Americans, replied to the Minister, and moved an amendment, to include Tea, also, in the proposed Bill.

In the course of his exceedingly important Si)eech, on introducing his motion to amend, the Governor said, "The drawback upon those "Teas, exjwrted to .\merica, of twenty-five per cent, does not amount, "as this argument supposes, to one shilling i>er pound -- it amounts to " only sevenpence half-penny, or thereabouts -- so that, did it operate as " a bounty, at all, it would amount to only fourpencc half-penny. But "this is not material to the point ; for it does not operate as a bounty, "at all, because whatever duty the East India Coniiiany pays, originally, "at the Custom-house, on the importing of Teas from Asia, that sum is "added to the price of their Tea, in their sales ; so that, although the "exporter to .\merica may be allowed a drawback, yet he draws back " that sum only which he hath already paid in the price of his purchase, "by trhich means, as this article of sujiply new stands, there isanadranlage " in fnrour of the Dutch Teas imported into the Colonies, against the British " Teas, of twenty -five per cent, difference. -- (Debrett's History, Debates, and Proceedings of both Houses of Parlioment, 1743 lo 1774, v., iCA).