Dwly Committee, have directed their Limners to depict them as fo many debauched, idle, ill-principled, mercenary Boobies, who are ready to give up their Confciences, Country, and Liberties to whoever will purchase them, and are now distributing Lifts and Orders, with which whatever Counties, Cities, or Boroughs, refufe to comply,they are to be ftigmatiz'd with the blackeft Reflections the Faction can invent. On the whole, it is evident, that the prefent Oppofition is form'd on a Set of Pofitions, which for Modeity, Truth and Juftice, have not their Match fince the Fall of LUCIFER, the firft PSEUDO-PATRIOT, and his Evil Angels. R. FREEMAN. A London Journal, Joly 14. N° 733. Old and Modern Whigs; Court Whigs, and the Political Creed of the Male- C content Whigs. A Witty Author fays, The Difference between Fools and Madmen is, Fools reafon wrong from right Principles, and Madmen realon right from wrong Principles; as, when they fancy themselves Kings, they fpeak in the Sublime, and Put on the Port and Majefty of Kings. Such Madmen are the prefent Anti-minifterial Writers; they affert, That we are going to be enflaved; They believe, like their Brethren in Bedlam, what hath no Foundation in Nature or Fact, and from thence reafon right; for Oppofition and Refiftence is certainly a Duty, when there are Defigns and Attempts to overturn the Constitution and introduce arbitrary Power. Yet there is not one Step taken towards it. triotism, because those Courts carried on Defigns against the Liberties of the People. But, would not the Whigs be as mad as the Malecontents, to oppofe and refift, when the Reafon for Oppofition and Refiftance is ceafed? So that the Modern and Old Whigs differ indeed in their Actions, tho' not in their Principles, and fo do the Craftsman's good Friends and Confederates, the Tories. The Old Whigs practised Refiftance to Arbitrary Power, and the Modern Whigs, Obedience to legal Power, and are right in both; but the Old Tories taught and prac tifed Paffive Obedience to Arbitrary Pow er and Lawless Government, and the Modern Tories teach and practice Active Refiftance to legal Power, and juft Government, and are wrong in both. The Difference allo between the Writhofe Reigns, and the Writings of the tings of L'Eftrange and Bp Parker, in Court Whigs in this, is as great as between Light and Darkness, yet the Craftsman fays, they are the very fame. The first wrote for the Court, but for Arbitrary Power, Prerogative above Law, for Perfecution and Tyranny over Confcience; D and the latter now write in Defence of Legal Power, Prerogative according to Law, and for all the Civil and Religious Rights of Mankind; yet, it seems, they are the jame! E All who write in Defence of the Government and Ministry, are called Wri- F ters for Arbitrary Power, and Modern Whigs, who are departed from the Original Principles of that Party. From a few mangled Sentences of fome Writers, the Craftsman gives (fee p. 339.) a political Creed as the Credenda of the Court Whigs; tho' 'tis impoffible to produce any Whig Writer against Courts, who hath built on truer Principles of Liberty, than have been laid down in the Course of these Papers, tho' wrote in favour of a Court. But it seems the Whigs are chang'd from what they were in the Reigns of Charles II. and James II. and fo they ought to be, in their Practices, tho' not in Principles; and the Reafon is, Courts are changed, Their Oppofition was Pa Now, fays Osborne, I will give him a Creed for his Creed; or the Credenda of the Male-content Whigs, or Whigs run mad. They believe, That the People of England, in their collective Body, have a Right to command Obedience from the Parliament, and over-rule their Proceedings, and that these Sovereign Lords and Supreme Judges, THE PEOPLE, are the Legislature of England.That our Monarchy ought to be turned into a Democracy; that we have no Occafion for Kings nor Lords; and that the Bishops fhould be turned out of the House of Lords, because they are for the prefent Government-That 'tis the Duty of the People to refift a good Government, equalG ly as a bad-That true Whiggifm confits in perpetual Refiftance. That Jacobites and Tories, nay, even Papifts, are .as heartily for the Revolution, and the prefent Royal Family, as the Whigs. That because Jacobites and Tories cannot oppofe but on Whig Principles, therefore thofe of them in the Oppofition, are thorough Whigs.-That because the Whigs in K. Charles's and K. James's Reign, op pofed pofed illegal Acts, and arbitrary Power; therefore the Whigs thould now oppose legal Acts, and juft Government. That whenever the King dismisses a Servant, whom THE PEOPLE like; or keeps in a Servant whom they diflike: then his Majetty is fetting up arbitrary Power; and if he prefumes to difmifs an Officer in the Army, then he is garbling and modelling the Army, to enflave the People.---That Sir RW, that Monster of Power, is for bringing in the Pretender; because in a general Confufion, he may have a Chance to escape, in the Dark, that dreadful Pu A exhibited in nobler Materials. For this Reason, when a famous Projector was treated in the fame manner, on the 11th of April laft, he was equip'd in a Manner fuitable to his Character; which had fuch an uncommon Effect on the Populace, that a certain learned Gentleman thought it his Duty to interpofe. (See p. 191. C.) I look upon a firft Minifter as a political Carpenter, Carver or Statuary, and to have a fort of delegated Power of Creation, which in former Ages was carry'd to great Exceffes, both by political and real Sculptors. Caligula made a Conful of his Horfe. Nebuchadnezzar made a nishment, which otherwife will come up B golden Image, which he order'd all his on him in the Light. These are fome of the Credenda of our Malecontent Whigs, by which they have turned our Government, as their own Heads are turn'd, Topfy-turvy. The Craftsman fays, "all Party Differences and Diftinctions are Shadows." But C I, fays Osborne, attirm they are Subftance, and of the utmoft Importance. Let Hiftory and Facts determine whether there is not a real Difference between Parties, fuch a Difference as greatly affects the Happiness or Mifery of the Kingdom. The Craftsman, July 14. No. 367. D A Friends, paffing by a Crucifix erected On the Road near Lisbon, his Companions E pulled off their Hats as ufual; but he took no Notice of it. Being asked the Reason, he reply'd, He could not bring himself to worthip a Cross, which he made but Yesterday out of his own Crabtree. This carries a good Moral, and is an Inftance that the fudden Elevation of an unworthy Object, inftead of acquiring Dignity, will only be attended with Contempt and Ridicule. The Matter muft, in fome Measure, anfwer the Dignity intended to be given it. Let the most ingenious Artift reprefent Jove with his Eagle and Thunderbolt in Straw, or Alexander the Great in Mud, the God, the Hero, and the Artift will all three become contemptible. The ludicrous Image of St. Taffy, hung up every first of March, juttly excites the Refentment of the brave Cambro-Britons, who cannot patiently fee their PatronSaint reprefented in Straw and Ticking. The Anniversary, national Justice, executed every 5th of Novemb. on the Devil, the Pope, and their Adherents, would make deeper Impreffions on the Minds of my Fellow Subjects, if thofe Perfonages were F G Subjects to worship, tho' le Clerc thinks the golden Image was only typical, and denoted the King's firft Minifter, to whom he had given all his Power. As to our modern Sculptors one may fee at Hyde. Park-Corner, what abfurd and incongruous Figures they expofe to View. I knew a Statuary in the Country, who had aQuarry of Stone of a bad Sort, porous, and fulceptible of Dirt and Corruption. Being a very impudent Fellow and of a flippant Tongue, he made the Country believe, there was no good Stone but his, and no good Sculptor but himfelf. They all employ'd him,but at last found his Materials bad, and his Workmanship worse; and were obliged, for their own Security, to get rid of it as foon as they could, and to prop in all Haite to prevent Ruin. This would be the Cafe of fuch a politi cal Sculptor, who should deal in Nepotifm, and cut only out of his own Quarry; the fame Materials not being fit for all forts of Figures. For Inftance, ihould a firft Minifter be nearly related to a Perfon, who had neither Head nor Heart to recommend him; who began the World with being laugh'd at as a Buffoon, and became ftill more ridiculous by attempting to be grave; faucy and infolent when Merry, and abfurd when Serious; long a Joke for being dirty, and ten times more fo by endeavouring to be clean; equally ignorant and felf-fufficient; equally greedy of Money and Power, and equally incapable of ufing either; whofe Experience in Business ferved only to give him Pride without Dignity, and Prefumption without Knowledge; if fuch a Creature, by his Kelation to a firft Minifter, be erected into a Minifter, the Workman would be exclaim'd against, and the Work despis'd. Horace (I mean Quintus Flaccus) gives a humorous Account of a Priapus, that the the Workman had cut into a God from a becoming his Extraction. But the Em- A B C The Craftsman, from his own Chambers, informs us, that the News-Papers continue to give us pompous Accounts of the Manner, in which feveral Cities and Corporations have received thofe Gentlemen who opposed the Excife-Bill; and fays, if we may credit private Advices, another Set of Gentlemen are diftrefs'd how to behave, or juftify their late Conduct. Many of them, 'tis faid, congratulated their Neighbours on Defeat of the Scheme, and gave themselves an Air of being against it; but the Lifts, now publifhed, have undeceived the People, and reduc'd thofe Gentlemen to feveral Shifts. D Some of 'em are fo modeft as to confine themselves at home; while their Creatures are employ'd to put the best Glofs they can upon a bad Caufe; and corrupt, where they cannot persuade. Others put a bold Face on the Matter, and perfift in it sturdily that they oppofed E the Project in fome Shape or other. For this purpofe, they have procur'd falfe Lifts to be difpers'd, to impofe on thofe, whose Confidence they have already abused. Some ingenuously acknowledge they were for the Scheme, but allege, they did it to prevent Frauds, and relieve the Land Tax. But of all their Arguments, none pleafes me so much as this. It is true, fay they, we voted for the Excife; but did it only to gain Credit with the Projector, and by thofe Means prevail'd upon him to drop it. I am told this Plea hath been already ufed in feveral Boroughs, and I fhall not be fur- G prized to hear that the Projector hath iffucd out Certificates of this kind to every one of his Creatures, affuring their Corporations, that it was folely at their Request, he laid afide fuch a glorious Project. But I think the belt way for thefe Gentlemen would be,to take the Advice of one of their Advocates in the Courant, June 19, who propofed that every Gentleman, who voted for the Excife, thould be catechis'd upon a little Stool by the Minister, and be obliged to explain the Grounds and Mo tives of his Conduct, in the Face of a full Congregation. SIR, Daiip Courant, July 17. THE Craftsman of last Saturday, (lee The Letter is made up of low Wit, and Scraps of Learning, fcandalous Infinuations, and studied Buffoonery, a new Stile furely in political Debates! but I had forgot it drops from the Quill of a Terra Filius, inured to Punning, Railing, and Libelling, ever fince he was expelled the Univerity for blowing up Sedition, and for his diffolute Life. But, will Raillery contribute to the Good of the Publick? Will humorous Stories convince Men of Understanding, that the M--y are fuch as Mr Engli,alias Mr Amb-ft, would reprefent them? Or fhould a worn-out Oxford Jeft prejudice the Reputation of a Person in confiderable Employments, without any Pretence to Proof? Are Sneer and Banter all theWeapons in the Power of the Faction? What does all that is fuggefted in this extraordinary Letter amount to,more than this, That the Mr hath procured an Office for his Relation, who on that Score is expofed to all the Jefts and Sarcasms of the oppofite Party? Is there any thing in it which fhould make the People angry, or the Mr afhamed? Did not Burleigh, Clarendon, and Godolphin raise their Rela tions to greatEmployments? And were not many of thofe Relations Ornaments to the Nation? Nay,the Gentleman against whom this Invective is pointed, is as much diftinguish'd for perfonal Virtues, as any Man who has poffeis'd the Place he holds within the Reach of Man's Remembrance. But all this is nothing; he is ftill a W-; and therefore entitled to all the hard Names Fog and Caleb can give him. We now proceed to Mr D'anvers's Remarks on the Conduct of certain Members of the House of Commons, as improbable as the Adventures of Garagantua and Pan tagruel, only, as Caleb's Genius falls short of Rablais, fo the Story is not fo well put together. The Falfehood is too glaring to give any Pleafure. However, I entreat him to give us a little Light into the following Queries. 1. If there be any Inftance of a Member's denying that he voted for the ExcifeBill, or pretending to congratulate his Neighbours on its being loft or poftponed? 2. If any Gentleman who voted with that Bill ever pretended to draw up a false Lift, or if fuch falfe Lifts have been procured or published by any Perfons fufpected of having to do with the Administration? 3. What Member of the House correct- A ed, at the Defire of a Perfon infamous for Publishing Libels, the Lift of the Members, and fome other Particulars, in a late Pamphlets faid to contain the Proceedings in the laft Seffions, &c ? 4. What Members of either Houfe have advanced their Quota towards Printing B 12,000 Lifts of the Members for and against the Excife Bill,and of Lords for and against the S. Sea Enquiry, which have been given gratis thro' all the Kingdom; thro' which alfo Orators have been difperfed, to perfuade the People their Liberties are in Danger? 5. If any Perfon can be named, who has claimed the Merit of advifing or prevailing on the M-- to confent to the Poftpening of the Bill in Relation to the Tobacco Duties, or the Resolutions in regard to the Wines? C D E Let the Craftsman give a direct answer to thefe Demands, becaufe if the 3d and 4th Queries be true, then his Patrons are guilty of notorious Breach of Duty as Members of Parliament, and of scattering Sedition, and endeavouring to disturb the Peace of their Country; and if the 1st, 2d, and 5th, Queries be falfe, the Craftf. man of laft Saturday is a Bundle of Seditious Lies, tending to wound the Characters of Gentlemen of Worth and Fortune, and abufing them for their Conduct in Parliament; which is contrary to the Laws, to Keafon and Humanity, dange- F rous to the Conftitution, and fhocking in the Eyes of every honest Man. R. FREEMAN Gaubstreet Journal, July 19. No. 186. Mr BAVIUS, As Laws cannot be duly adminiftred without various Degrees, and subordinate Ranks of Men; fo when the Souls of fuch Men are deeply ftained with Dishonour and Immorality, how pernicious to Society may they be? In fuch a Cafe, fo far is the most excellent Syftem of Laws from being a Bieffing to a State, that they become the greater Inftruments of Oppreflion and Engines of Mischief. Tho' the late Statutes have excellently provided against the Extortions of thofe Mifcreants, Counter and Sheriff's Officers, Bailiffs and their under Strappers, yet the beft Laws are bare-facedly violated, or artfully eluded. Since the Fees of these Gentlemen have been ascertained, and 24 Hours allowed to the Party in Custody, before he can be legally turned into Prifon, they have found out another way to make themselves ample Amends for the Lofs of their former Opportunity of Oppreffion. Are they apprehenfive the unfortunate will give the Plaintiff immediate Satisfaction? They run him immediately to a Spunging-Houfe, and Mr Officer will be fure to be out of the Way till the 24 Hours are expired, unless the Prisoner bleeds freely. The Artifice of Capt. SPUNGE is of the fame Stamp; no Evidence or Testimony from the Suitor will fatisfy his tender Confcience. How does he know the Plaintiff, or bis Hand writing, tho' he has all the Evidence that would fatisfy a Court of Justice? Thus this Infidel muft confine the Prifoner, till his Confederate Oppreffor Mr OFFICER thall think fit to fhow his Countenance of Humanity. Befides, thefe Officers have a Number of Satellites called Runners, who live in the Atmosphere of thefe Harpies, and are employed to feel the Pulfes of the Prisoners, left Mr OFFICER fhould let flip the critical Minute when the Purfe Strings are drawn. After this Crew have put the Englishmen boaft, that there is no Body G Prifoner to all the Difficulties and Ex of Laws better calculated for the prefervation of Property and Liberty, and for deriving to us all the Bleflings of Society, than thofe of our Country. Under the Difpenfation of wife and upright Magistrates, with a happy Propenfity to Obedience in the People, they flow evenly thro' the whole Community, and admi- H nifter Refreshment to every Member. But, where there is no general Difpofition in the Subjects chearfully and fpontaneously to purfue the Paths of Equity, the best Magiftrates find it extremely difficult to adminifter Juftice. pences in their Power, their Honours are highly affronted, if they are not complimented with a Prefent extraordinary for their great Civility. So contemptible indeed are the Offices of thefe Men-eaters grown, that few but ignorant and narrow-minded Wretches will throw themselves into fuch Employments. Amongit Men of fuch a Complexion, Benevolence and Humanity are treated as Folly and Weakness, and good Senfe, and an honeft Heart, perfecuted as Invaders of their Properties. Hence 350 Weekly ESSAYS in JULY, 1733. Hence we may form an Idea of what I fhall conclude with obferving, That as PROCEEDINGS in the laft Seffion of ANAttempt to change fome Customs, by Reason of the Frauds committed in them, to an Inland Duty, or Excife, having made the greatest Noife, and having ended only in an Enquiry into the faid Frauds, we think proper to begin with the Proceedings thereon. April 19. Refolved, Nem. Con. That a Committee be appointed to enquire into the Frauds and Abuses in the 'Customs, to the Prejudice of Trade and Diminution of the Revenue. N° XXXI. The Accounts relating to Tobacco and Wines laid before the Houfe were tranfferred to this Committee. to the Houfe. From whence follows a June 7. Sir John Cope made the Report fhort Extra&. T HE Committee, to avoid Confufion in their Enquiry, have examin'd the Frauds commitvenue fingly; and obferving that their ted in each Branch of the RePapers of Information related chiefly to Frauds in the Tobacco Trade, they proceeded in that Branch firft. They take Notice of the great Care and Caution that is ufed by the Commiffioners in appointing Numbers of Officers over a Ship from her Arrival in the River till she is brought C to the Keys to unlade her Freight, to prevent any Tobacco being landed without paying for feguring the Duties. Notwithtanding which they have full Proof of many notorious Frauds. D E Refolved, That the Number of the faid Committee be one and Twenty, and be F chofen by way of Balloting, on Tuesday the 24th. April 24. The Members having been Summon'd by the Serjeant at Arms to attend, the Clerks went on each fide the Houfe with Glaffes to receive from the Members the Lifts of Perfons Names to be G the faid Committee. Order'd, That à Committee examine the faid Lifts, and Report on which 21 Perfons the Majority falls. April 25. Lord Vere Beauclerk reported from the Committee, that they had examin'd the Lifts, and that the Majority had fallen on the first of the Lifts mentioned P. 515. in which we defire our Readers to correct three Mistakes made in fome Copies at the beginning of the Impreffion, viz. for Foe read Fox, for Lewthier, read Lowther, and for Novel, read Noel. H The principal Fraud committed at Importation is the fetting down in the LandWaiter's Books, by which the Duty is computed and paid, lefs Weight than the Hogheads imported do really weigh : which is one of the principal Complaints made by the Merchants at Bristol in 1721, and was this year made by the Planters in Virginia, by their Agent Sir John Randolph, who informed the Committee, that the ufual Weights in Virginia were and are from 800 to $50 Pounds, that the utmost allowance for Waste in the Voyage was 8 lb. on every hundred Weight, but believes it cannot be fo much, having an he finds a Watte of no more than 15 Account of his own from Bristol, where Pounds in a Hogfhead of Soo Weight. The Hogiheads imported from Maryland, weigh at a Medium, 700l. weight. In June 1727, John Midford imported, in the Wm and fane, from Virginia, 301 by the Landwaiters, was 199,257 lb.wt. Hogheads, the Weight of which, as taken The true Weights 230,150 lb.wt. Difference, (the Duty of which loft) In 1729, the Weights of 17 Hogheads as taken in the Landwaiters Book, amount only to The real Weights of the fame, as by the Account of Sales, were } 30,893 lb.wt. 8961 lb. wt. 12334 lb. wt. Difference,(the Duty of 3373 lb. we. which was loft) The |