OCR Text |
Show [ 46 ] [47] rights. I do not pretend to be an Antiquary, his title to his paternal eftate, or to his ef'tablifhed government. Indeed common fenle taught me, that a legiflative authority, not aéttially limited by the exprefs terms of its foundation, or by its own fubfequent aéts, cannot have its powers parcelled out by atgumentative dif'tinétions, f0 as to enable us to or a Lawyer, or qualified for the chair of Pro- feflbr in Metaphylics. Inever ventured to put your lblid interefts upon ipeculative grounds. My having conf'rantly declined to do {0 has been attributed to my incapacity for produce to me any record of fuch diftinetions, by compaét or otherwife, either at the luccefiive formation of the feveral Colonies, or fuch difquifitions ;» and I am inclined to be- during the exiftenee of any of them. lieve it is partly the caufe. I never {hall be other Gentlemen were able to fee, how one afhamed to confefs, that where I am ignorant- powercould be given up, (merely on abftraét reafoning) without giving up the refi, Ican Iam diflident. I am indeed not very tollieitous to clear mytelf of this imputed incapacity; becaufe men, than I am, even lefs converfant in this kind of fubtleties, and placed in fiations, to whichI ought not to afpire, have, by the mere force of civil dilhretion, often conduéied the afiiaii‘s of great na- affirm, that here they can, and there they cannot bind. Nobody was f0 obliging as to' If only fay, that they law further than I could; nor did I ever prefume to condemn any one for being clear-lighted, when I was blind. I praife their penetration and learning; and hope that their praé‘tice has been correfpondent to their theory. tions with dil'tinguifhed felicity and glory. Vv'hen I firf't came into a publick truft, I found your Parliament in pofieflion of an un‘ limited legillative power over the Colonies. I could not open the Statute-Book, without feeing the aflual exercife of it, more or leis, in all cales whatioever. I had indeed very earneft withes to keep the whole body of this authority perfect and entire as I found it, and to keep it f0, not for our advantage folely, but principally for the lake of thofe, on whofe account alljul'c authority This pofleliion pafied exifts; I mean the people to be governed; For I thoughtl faxv, that many cafes might with well m.‘o-4w-t~-su.rv~ _ . t i..,.,.{_n,m.:vwr-.-r Wm:q{€th-Kd§éh‘f'if ~ 1'"‘""3~‘«2"-." in the extent, or in the foundation of thefe It does f0 in all human. No man examines into the defeéts of a: rights of this imperial Crown, it was myfelfl Many others indeed might be more knowin adairs. as! '5 1 one man liVed, more zealous than another, for the fupremacy of Parliament, and the with me for a title. "EWPSF-tmyhimwvw fiafirtfiflfiv‘w‘ , r 5",, 4g"; :1 -sa€fi"tl:"ww"‘afi‘;_"l'¥55‘ am guilty of this charge. But I do adore you (and they who know me publickly and privately will bear witnefs to me) that if ever |