pofition, this was intended to gain the majority, whofe diffent was of far greater importance. He had the addrefs in a few minutes to hush the troubled waves to peace.

He foon convinced the malcontents, that the appearances of conceffion, lenity, and tenderness, which had fo much alarmed them in the motion, were of such a na

ture, that they could not interfere with the most rigid measures which they wished to enforce. He faid, that the address included two correfpondent lines of conduct, which feemed hitherto to have escaped their penetration; one of thefe was to reprefs those that were in rebellion, and to establish the government and enforce the laws of this country in the colonies; the other, to protect its friends, and those that were acting under its authority. They had already taken, and were in a train of taking, the most decifive measures for effecting the first of these purposes; and the motion went no further than to provide for the fecond. What will parliament lofe by accepting this motion? The right? It exprefsly referves it. It is fo effential a part of fovereignty, that parliament, if it would, cannot furrender it. Does it fufpend the profitable exercise of the right? So far from it, that it fhews the firm refolution of parliament to enforce the only effential parts of taxation, by compelling the Americans to provide what we, not they, think juft and reasonable for the fupport of the whole empire, without a compliance with which they cannot hope to make any terms of reconciliation with us. Nothing ought fo much to animate the ardour of the youth of this kingdom to a refolute exertion, as this

firm determination of parliament; or encourage the gallant officers and troops who are going abroad to enforce this fpirited propofition, as a certainty that they were not going to fight (as had been often reproachfully urged to them) for trifles, and vain points of honour, but for a substantial revenue. The difpute was at length put upon its proper footing-Revenue, or no re

venue.

This explanation had fo good an effect, that the minifter himself improved upon the idea, and acknowledged, in the course of the debate, that he did not expect his propofitions would be generally received by the Americans, but that he intended by them to feparate the grain from the chaff. If it did no good there, it would do good here; it would unite the people of England by holding out to them a diftinct object of revenue; as it united England, it would difunite America: whatever province came first to make a dutiful offer, would be kindly and gently treated; and if but one province accepted the offer, the whole confederacy would be broken; and that union, which alone rendered them formidable, would be diffolved.

The gentlemen in oppofition were far from controverting any of the charges that were brought on the other fide against the motion. They allowed every quality that had been ascribed to it except conciliation, which they utterly denied its poffeffing. If it led to peace, their eagernets for that wifhed-for object would induce them to receive it, under all the circumftances of contradiction, prevarication, meanness, and humiliation, with which it was faid, and they acknowledged it to

be

be loaded. But instead of poffeffing that happy property, which with them would have atoned for all its bad ones, they faid it was infidious, bafe, and treacherous, in the highest degree; and calculated to render incurable all thofe mifchiefs which it pretended to remedy; that it was founded upon the wretched principles of the Bofton Port bill, and would be productive of fimilar effects; the minifter acknowledged this to be a cheat, as that was, and intended for the fame purpose, to difunite the Americans; the immediate effect of the former, was to throw all the colonies, from Nova-Scotia to Georgia, into one common mass of union; if any further cement was wanting to confolidate that mafs, this fcheme would fupply it most abundantly.

It was faid, that the mode in which this motion was fupported by administration, was the moft ridiculous that ever was attempted in parliament; they held it out to one fide of the houfe as a measure of conceffion; and to the other, as a ftrong affertion of authority; they were renewing that miferable fyftem of low cunning and folly by which they were governed in the tea-aft, which to this country was to be a duty of fupply, and to the Americans, a tax only of regula. tion. It was observed, that there was a fudden and total change in the principles upon which the minifters would have us fuppofe that we were entering into a civil war. In the whole course of this business, until the present day, they had conftantly denied their having any contest about an American revenue; they represented the whole to be a difpute for obedience to trade

laws, and to the general legislative authority; but now they fuddenly change their language, and think they fhall intereft the nation, confole our manufacturers, and animate our foldiers, by perfuading them that it is not a conteft for empty honour, and merely to fupport the dignity of parliament; that it has an object in view which ftrikes more immediately on the fenfes, the acquifition of a substantial revenue; but this attempt of impofition upon the people will be found as futile as their other deceptions, and the proposed revenue as empty a phantom as the supposed honour.

It was faid, that though the mode of collection might admit of fome faving under that head, it could not change the nature of the tax; the people are as effectually taxed without their confent, by being compelled to the payment of a grofs fum, as by an aggregate of fmall duties to the fame amount; but with this odious difference, that the former carries all the appearance of a contribution or ranfom levied by an hoftile army in a state of avowed warfare. That this scheme of taxation exceeded in oppreffion any other that the rapacity of mankind had yet devifed. In all other cafes, fome specific fum was demanded, and the people might form fome opinion of what they could confider as their own, for the remaining term of the ordinance; but here they were left totally in the dark, as to the extent of the demand; it might be fixed at the half, at the whole, or at more than they were worth; and the fame power that authorized the demand, might render their bodies anfwerable for the deficiency.

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The

The ridiculous circumftances that muft attend this mode of taxation, fuppofing it poffible to be carried into execution, were strongly painted. The colonies were to be held in durance by fleets and armies, until they should fingly and feparately offer to contribute to a fervice, the nature of which they could not know, in a proportion which they could not guefs, and on a ftandard which they will be fo far from being able to ascertain, that parlia ment which is to hold it, has not ventured even to hint what they expect. Thus the Houfe is to be converted into an auction-room, the fpeaker to hold the hammer, and the colonies to be held prisoners of war, until they consent to a ransom, by bidding against each other and against themselves, and until the king and parliament fhall call to ftrike down the hammer, and fayenough. If the first offer of an affembly was not deemed fufficient, it was afked what the remedy would be? The bufinefs muft of courfe go back to America, and the fleets, armies, and durance muft of courfe continue, until further offers were made by another affembly, and thefe were again difcuffed in another feffion, and perhaps by another parliament; thus the abfurdity and impracticability of this propofition were equal to its oppreffivenefs. The bufinefs would be in an eternal rotation between Europe and America, and nothing ever be finished; while our distractions, confufions, and expence would every hour increafe. Upon the whole they concluded, that the Americans would receive these infidious propofitions with the greatest indignation; that as they would fhew them more clearly the neceffity, fo they would

+

confirm them the more ftrongly in their union and oppofition. That revenue from a free people must be the confequence of peace, not the condition on which it is to be obtained; and that if we attempted to invert this order, we should have neither peace nor revenue.

Notwithstanding the general diffatisfaction with which this motion was received by the friends of adminiftration, who thought their dignity not a little lowered by it, and believed the effects of conciliation or difunion propofed by it, to be very uncertain, it was thought better not to give a triumph to oppofition by rejecting a propofition made by the minifter. It was thought alfo, that this refolution being fufceptible of a variety of interpretations, as had appeared in the debates, fuch an interpretation might be hereafter adopted, as fhould be moft fuitable to their circumftances. Accordingly, though fome of those who in the beginning had openly declared themselves, and could not recede, voted (on grounds totally adverse to them) with oppofition, the reft of the numbers went as ufual; and the queftion was carried on a divifion 274 to 88.

We should have obferved before, that upon the 1ft of this month, Mr. Sawbridge, having previoufly obtained a call of the House, repeated his annual motion for fhortening the duration of parliament. The motion was fupported; but as ufural produced no debate; adminiftration being totally filent upon the fubject. It was, probably, from the fame certainty of the event, that the majority was not quite fo great as in the preceding year and parliament, the numbers upon a

divifion

divifion being 195 againft, to 104 who fupported the motion.

Sir George Saville's annual motion relative to the Middlefex election, was this year taken out of his hands, being yielded with propriety to the gentleman who was immediately affected by that decifion. Mr. Wilkes, who was now Lord-Mayor, and who reprefented the county of Middlefex in parliament, took up in perfon his own caufe, and two days after the debate on the conciliatory motion, moved, "That the refolution of "this Houfe of the 17th of Fe"bruary 1769," that John Wilkes, Efq; having been in this feffion of parliament expelled this Houfe, was, and is, incapable of fitting in the prefent parliament,'" be "expunged from the journals of "this Houfe, as being fubverfive of "the rights of the whole body of "electors of this kingdom."

This motion was ably fupported by the lord-mayor, who was alfo well feconded; and a confiderable debate enfued, in which much of the ground we have formerly traced, was again gone over. The question was overruled by a majority of 68, which taking in the uncommon fulnefs of the House upon the present occafion, was nearly upon a proportional par with that of the preceding year; the numbers now being, in fupport of the motion, 171, to 239, by whom it was rejected.

On the day that the New-England fifhery-bill had paffed the Houfe of Commons, adminiftration were called upon by a gentleman in oppofition, for a copy of a letter written by the noble minifter at the head of the American department, to the lieutenant-governor of NewYork, and dated upon the 10th of

Dec. 1774; as containing matter of information worthy the confideration and attention of the Houfe. This application the ministers refufed to comply with; who faid they were the fole judges what matter was or was not proper to be laid before the Houfe; that a fpirit of curiofity might prompt people to require the feeing of many papers, which it would be very improper to expose to public view; and that from the nature of executive government, many matters must neceffarily be kept fecret. That if they could be proved to have abused this truft they were refponsible.

This occafioned much cenfure on the audacity of refusing to lay neceffary information before the Houfe, efpecially when particular papers were called for and specified; and many reflections were made upon the fhameful tameness which fubmitted to fuch daring infolence, and to be led blindfold in matters upon which the fate of the nation and empire immediately depended. A motion was alfo made for an addrefs to his majefty, that the paper in question might be laid before the Houfe; but it paffed in the negative.

It was then obferved, that a petition and memorial of an extraordinary nature, from the affembly of the island of Jamaica, to the king in council, was reported to have been received fome confiderable time before, and the minifters being queftioned as to the fact, were alto asked, whether that was among the fecrets of ftate which was not fit to be communicated to parliament. This omiffion the minifters attributed to inattention, and to their not confidering it as a matter of any great confequence; but

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they

RHODES

HOUSE

CXFORD

LIBY

This petition and memorial from the affembly of Jamaica, was drawn up in very strong terms. In expreffing the most perfect duty and allegiance to the throne, and the ftrongest attachment to, and reliance on their fellow-fubjects in Great-Britain, they however observed, that these difpofitions were founded on that moft folid and durable bafis, the continued en joyment of their perfonal rights, and the fecurity of their property. They recite their conftant good behaviour, and ftate even their weaknefs and inability of refiftance, as evidences that they cannot be actuated by factious or dangerous motives; and proceed to fhew, that the most dreadful calamities to their island, and the inevitable deftruction of the fmall fugar colonies, must be involved in a continuance of the prefent unnatural conteft with the Americans. They after wards enter into a full, free, and argumentative difcuffion of the late claims of the mother country, and of the rights of the colonies; the former of which they combat, and defend the latter with great force. They abfolutely deny that their ancestors, the fettlers or conquerors of the colonies, could receive any rights o privileges from their fel. low. fubjects in England at the time of their emigration; the peers could not communicate their privileges,' and the people had no rights, but thole of which the former were equally poffeffec; but the crown, whole prerogatives were totally independent of both, for the great pur es of colonization, commuto all the colonies, though in tient degrees, a liberal hare

nica.

of its own royal powers of government. Thefe powers, as well as their original rights and privileges, have been confirmed to them by every means which can be devised for affording fecurity to mankind; charters, proclamations, profcription, compact, protection, and obedience. From the foregoing, and other premises, they infer and declare, that the colonists are not fubjects to the people of England; and infift on their own rights of legiflation. They afterwards fay, that they equally deplore, and behold with amazement, a plan, almost carried into execution, for reducing the colonies into the most abject ftate of flavery; and they fupplicate the throne, and demand and claim' from the fovereign, as the guarantee of their just rights, that no laws shall be forced upon them, injurious to their rights, as colonists, or Englishmen; and that as the common parent of his people, his majesty would become a mediator between his European and American fubjects.

About the fame time, a petition from the city of Waterford in Ireland was prefented to the House, fetting forth the fatal confequences that will refult to that city in particular, and to the kingdom in general, from a continuance of the prefent unhappy differences between Great-Britain and the colonies they ftate, that in that cafe, they will be deprived of the only valuable branch of export which they are permitted to carry on with the colonies, that of their linen manufactures; a misfortune which they already begin too fenfibly to feel. The fishery-bill had March 9th. fcarcely cleared the Houle of Commons, when the minilter brought in another, To

reftrain