istrates, and paid them all; and it was
seldom that their legislation was interfered with except with respect to
commerce.

[Sidenote: _RESTRICTIONS ON COLONIAL TRADE._]

The freedom which they enjoyed did not extend to commerce and
manufactures. In those matters the policy of Great Britain was founded
on the "mercantile theory," then universally accepted, and was directed
towards securing a monopoly of trade. Other countries pursued a like
policy towards their colonies, though they treated them with far less
liberality. The restrictions placed by Great Britain on colonial trade
were based on the Navigation acts of 1660 and later years, which were
originally aimed at the maritime power of the Dutch. Briefly, they
confined trade with the colonies to English or colonial ships; the
Americans were debarred from exporting a number of the most important
products of their country, their tobacco, grain, sugar, hides, and
timber for masts, except to Great Britain; no foreign ship might enter
their harbours, nor, with certain exceptions, could they import foreign
merchandise, except in ships sailing directly from England. Various acts
debarred them from manufactures which would have entered into
competition with English goods; they depended on the mother-country for
the commonest and most necessary things, for their cloth, hardware, and
a host of manufactured articles. Port duties were imposed by England,
and were collected by officers of the customs, whose business it was to
prevent contraband trading. These duties were not imposed for the sake
of revenue, but for the regulation of trade; and the whole system of
restrictions was founded on the idea that colonies should be made to
serve the interest of the mother-country by giving its merchants and
manufacturers the monopoly of the colonial market.

The colonies received some compensations for the restrictions placed
upon their industry and commerce. With certain exceptions their trade
was free. While some of their products were confined to the British
market, they had the monopoly of that market; no Englishman, for
example, might buy tobacco which did not come from America or Bermuda.
Their export trade to England was encouraged by bounties, and, though
their foreign imports generally had to come to them through England, a
system of drawbacks, by which the duties were remitted on exportation to
America, enabled them to buy continental goods more cheaply than they
could be bou