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Show PREFACE. five Anfwer tbat, " tbe High Court of Parliament " ought to give Examples of ju/tiee to tloe inferior " Courts, none of wbieb could do tbe like." But tbougb it migbt be dangerous to declare again/t tbe Antbority of Parliament, we are not bound to acknowledge its Inerrability, nor precluded from examining jbe Principles and Confeguenees of Laws, or from pointing out tbeir Improprieties, and Dg‘et‘t‘s. Upon CONSIDERATIONS, 899. this Ground 1 bavoe proceeded in tbe following Con- fiderations, andfloall not be di/‘appointed if tbey flzould appear to be too free, or too refereed, to Readers of difi'rent Complexions. VIRGINI/i, AUGUST 12, 1765. N the Confiitution of England, the Three principal Forms ofGovernment, Monarchy, Arit'cocracy and Democracy, are blended together in certain Proportions ; but each of thefe Orders, in the Exercife of the legiflative Authority, hath its peculiar Department, from which the othE‘r are excluded. In this Divifion, the Granting of Supplies, or Laying Taxes, is deemed to be the Province of the Houfe of Commons, as the Reprefentative of the People.---All Supplies are fuppofed to flow from their Gift 5 and the other Orders are permitted only to afl'ent, or rejec‘t generally, not to propofe any Modification, Amendment, or partial Altera~ tion of it. This Obfervation being confidered, it will un- deniably appear, that, in framing the late Stamp A'fi, the Commons acted in the Character of Re- prefentative of the Colonies. They afiirmed it as; the Principle of that Meafure, and the Propriet} of it mufi therefore fiend, or fall. as the Principle is true, or falfe : For the Preamble fets forth, That the Commons of Great Britain had relblved to Give and Grant the fevers] Rates and Duties im- pofed by the Aft; but what Right had the Commons of Great Britainto be thus munificent at the ‘ B . EXPCDCC |