Page images
PDF
EPUB

ed on them for the very purpose now spoken of? Why should all the inhabitants of these colonies be, with the utmost indignity, treated as a herd of despicable stupid wretches, so utterly void of common sense, that they will not even make "adequate provision" for the "administration of justice, and the support of civil government" among them, or for their own " defence"-though without such "provision," every people must inevitably be overwhelmed with anarchy and destruction? Is it possible to form an idea of a slavery more complete, more miserable, more disgraceful, than that of a people, where justice is administered, government exercised, and a standing army maintained, at the expence of the people, and yet without the least dependence upon them? If we can find no relief from this infamous situation, it will be fortunate for us, if mr. Grenville, setting his fertile fancy again at work, can, as by one exertion of it he has stript us of our property and liberty, by another deprive us of so much of our understanding, that, unconscious of what we have been or are, and ungoaded by tormenting reflections, we may bow down our necks, with all the stupid serenity of servitude, to any drudgery, which our lords and masters shall please to command.

WHEN the charges of the "administration of "justice," the " support of civil government,"

and the expences of "defending, protecting and "securing" us, are provided for, I should be glad to know, upon what occasions the crown will ever call our assemblies together. Some few of them may meet of their own accord, by virtue of their charters. But what will they have to do, when they are met? To what shadows will they be reduced? The men, whose deliberations heretofore had an influence on every matter relating to the liberty and happiness of themselves and their constituents, and whose authority in domestic affairs at least, might well be compared to that of Roman senators, will now find their deliberations of no more consequence, that those of constables. They may perhaps be allowed to make laws for the yoking of hogs, or pounding of stray cattle. Their influence will hardly be permitted to extend so high, as the keeping roads in repair, as that business may more properly be executed by those who receive the public cash.

ONE most memorable example in history is so applicable to the point now insisted on, that it will form a just conclusion of the observations that have been made.

SPAIN was once free. Their cortes resembled our parliaments. No money could be raised on the subject, without their consent. One of their kings

having received a grant from them to maintain a war against the Moors, desired, that if the sum which they had given, should not be sufficient, he might be allowed, for that emergency only, to raise more money without assembling the cortes. The request was violently opposed by the best and wisest men in the assembly. It was, however, complied with by the votes of a majority; and this single concession was a precedent for other concessions of the like kind, until at last the crown obtained a general power of raising money, in cases of necessity. From that period the cortes ceased to be useful, the people ceased to be free.

Venienti occurrite morbo.

Oppose a disease at its beginning.

A FARMER.

LETTER X.

MY DEAR COUNTRYMEN,

THE

consequences, mentioned in the last letter, will not be the utmost limits of our misery and infamy, if the late act is acknowledged to be binding upon us. We feel too sensibly, that any ministerial measures* relating to these colonies, are soon carried suscessfully through the parliament. Certain prejudices operate there so strongly against us, that it may be justly questioned, whether all the provinces united, will ever be able effectually, to call to an account before the parliament, any minister who shall abuse the power by the late act given to the crown in America. He may divide the spoils torn from us in what manner he pleases, and we shall have no way of making him re-✔ sponsible. If he should order, that every governor shall have a yearly salary of 50001. sterling; every

* "The gentleman must not wonder he was not contradicted, when, as minister, he asserted the right of parliament to tax America. I know not how it is, but there is a modesty in this house, which does not choose to contradict a minister. I wish gentlemen would get the better of this modesty. If they do not, perbaps the collective body may begin to abate of its respect for the representative.”

Mr. PITT's speech.

chief justice of 30001. every inferior officer in proportion; and should then reward the most profligate, ignorant, or needy dependents on himself or his friends, with places of the greatest trust, because they were of the greatest profit, this would be called an arrangement in consequence of the

[ocr errors]

adequate provision for defraying the charge of the administration of justice, and the support of the civil government:" and if the taxes should prove at any time insufficient to answer all the expences of the numberless offices, which ministers may please to create, surely the members of the house of commons will be so 66 modest," as not to "contradict a minister," who shall tell them it is become necessary to lay a new tax upon the colonies, for the laudable purposes of defraying the charges of the "administration of justice, and support of civil government" among them. Thus, in fact, we shall be taxed† by ministers. In short, it will be in their power to settle upon us any civil, ecclesiastical or military establishment which they choose.'

[ocr errors]

“Within this act (statute de tallagio non concedendo) are all new offices erect ed with new fees, or old offices with new fees, for that is a tallage put upon the subject, which cannot be done without common assent by act of parliament. And this doth notably appear by a petition in parliament in anno 13, Henry IV. where the commons complain, that an office was erected for measurage of cloths and canvas, with a new fee for the same, by colour of the king's letters patent, and pray that these letters patent may be revoked, for that the king could erect no offices with new fecs to be taken of the people, who may not so be charged but by parliament." 2d Inst. p. 533.

« PreviousContinue »