gave any thing or not to the Publick, they at least loft fomething from themselves. They divested their dignity of a very fplendid diftinction, and shewed that they were more willing than their predeceffors to ftand on a level with their fellow-fubjects.

The new mode of trying elections, if it be found effectual, will diffufe its confequences further than feems yet to be foreseen. It is, I believe, generally confidered as advantageous only to those who claim feats in parliament; but, if to choose representatives be one of the most valuable rights of Englishmen, every voter must consider that law as adding to his happinefs, which makes his fuffrage efficacious; fince it was vain to choose, while the election could be controlled by any other power.

With what imperious contempt of ancient rights, and what audaciousness of arbitrary authority former parliaments have judged the difputes about elections, it is not neceffary to relate. The claim of a candidate, and the right of electors, are faid scarcely to have been, even in appearance, referred to confcience; but to have been decided by party, by paffion, by prejudice, or by frolick. To have friends in the borough was of little use to him, who wanted friends in the house; a pretence was easily found to evade a majority, and the feat was at last his, that was chofen not by his electors, but his fellow-fenators.

Thus the nation was infulted with a mock election, and the parliament was filled with fpurious reprefentatives; one of the most important claims, that of right to fit in the fupreme council of the kingdom, was de bated in jeft, and no man could be confident of fuc cefs from the justice of his cause.

A dif

: A difputed election is now tried with the fame fcrupuloufnefs and folemnity, as any other title. The candidate that has deferved well of his neighbours, may now be certain of enjoying the effect of their approbation; and the elector, who has voted honestly for known merit, may be certain that he has not voted in vain.

Such was the parliament, which fome of those, who are now afpiring to fit in another, have taught the rabble to confider as an unlawful convention of men, worthlefs, venal, and prostitute, flaves of the court, and tyrants of the people.

That the next Houfe of Commons may act upon the principles of the laft, with more conftancy and higher fpirit, must be the wifh of all who with well to the Publick; and it is furely not too much to expect, that the nation will recover from its delufion, and unite in a general abhorrence of thofe who, by deceiving the credulous with fictitious mifchiefs, overbearing the weak by audacity of falfehood, by appealing to the judgment of ignorance, and flattering the vanity of meanness, by flandering honefty and infulting dignity, have gathered round them whatever the kingdom can fupply of base, and grofs, and profligate; and raised by merit to this bad eminence, arrogate to themselves the name of PATRIOTS.

Taxation no Tyranný;

AN

ANSWER

TO THE

RESOLUTIONS AND ADDRESS

OF THE

AMERICAN CONGRES S.

[1775.]

IN

N all the parts of human knowledge, whether terminating in fcience merely fpeculative, or operating upon life private or civil, are admitted fome fundamental principles, or common axioms, which being generally received are little doubted, and being little doubted have been rarely proved.

Of these gratuitous and acknowledged truths it is often the fate to become lefs evident by endeavours to explain them, however neceffary fuch endeavours may be made by the misapprehenfions of abfurdity, or the fophiftries of intereft. It is difficult to prove the principles of fcience, because notions cannot always be found more intelligible

than

than those which are questioned. It is difficult to prove the principles of practice, becaufe they have for the most part not been difcovered by inveftigation, but obtruded by experience; and the demonftrator will find, after an operofe deduction, that he has been trying to make that feen which can be only felt.

Of this kind is the position, that the fupreme power of every community has the right of requiring from all its fubjects, fuch contributions as are necessary to the publick fafety or publick profperity, which was confidered by all mankind as comprising the primary and effential condition of all political fociety, till it became difputed by thofe zealots of anarchy, who have denied to the parliament of Britain the right of taxing the American Colonies.

In favour of this exemption of the Americans from the authority of their lawful fovereign, and the dominion of their mother-country, very loud clamours have been raised, and many wild affertions advanced, which by fuch as borrow their opinions from the reigning fashion have been admitted as arguments; and what is strange, though their tendency is to leffen English honour, and English power, have been heard by Englishmen with a wish to find them true. Paffion has in its firft violence controlled intereft, as the eddy for a while runs against the ftream.

To be prejudiced is always to be weak; yet there are prejudices fo near to laudable, that they have been often praised, and are always pardoned. To love their country has been confidered as virtue in men, whofe love could not be otherwife than blind, because

their preference was made without a comparison; but it has never been my fortune to find, either in ancient or modern writers, any honourable mention of those, who have with equal blindness hated their country.

These antipatriotick prejudices are the abortions of folly impregnated by faction, which being produced against the standing order of nature, have not strength fufficient for long life. They are born only to feream and perish, and leave thofe to contempt or deteftation, whose kindnefs was employed to nurfe them into mischief.

To perplex the opinion of the Publick many artifices have been used, which, as ufually happens when falfehood is. to be maintained by fraud, lofe their force by counteracting one another.

The nation is fometimes to be mollified by a tender tale of men, who fled from tyranny to rocks and deferts, and is perfuaded to lose all claims of justice, and all fenfe of dignity, in compaffion for a harmlefs people, who having worked hard for bread in a wild country, and obtained by the flow progreffion of manual induftry the accommodations of life, are now invaded by unprecedented oppreffion, and plundered of their properties by the harpies of taxation.

We are told how their industry is obftructed by unnatural restraints, and their trade confined by rigorous prohibitions; how they are forbidden to enjoy the products of their own foil, to manufacture the materials which nature fpreads before them, or to carry their own goods to the nearest market: and furely the generosity of English virtue will never heap new weight