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Show t 32 l [ 33 l 9725 Common: of Great Britain, morCOVer, in their Capacity of Reprefeiztatiw, not only Give and Grant the Property of the Colonies; but, in my Confiruétion of the Stamp-Aét, (however every Reader may examine and judge for himfelf) Give and Grant alfo to certain Officers of the Crown, 3 Power to tax Them higher [till ; for thefe Officers will not, I prefume, be called virtual Reprei fintatives too; and what they Ihall think fit to levy, by an ingenious Extent of the Fiction, will not be confidered as levied with the Confent of the Colonies-The Infiances, I believe, are rare, in which the Reprefentatives of the PeOple of Eng- land have delegated to Oflicers of the Crown, the Power of taxing their Confiituents, nor hath any Difiinétion yet been advanced to prove, that in their Capacity of virtual Reprefmtati've: of the Colonies, the Houfe of Commons not having the fame Confidence repofed in Them, ought to proceed upon peculiar Rules. There was a Statute of Henry VIII, by which, Ithink, the King's Pro-- If the Subl'titution of an arbitrary Civil Law Court, in the Place of the legal Judicatories, and that deferved li‘avourite, the Common-LaW-Trial by Jury, would notjufl‘il'y the AlTertion, that the Stamp-Aét hath ltripped the Colonies of the Guards and Securities provided by the Conftituc tion againl't Oppreflion in the Execution of Laws, I would much lefs prefiime to fay, the veiling in the Commillioners of the Trenfin‘y a Power to tax the Colonies, will amplyjullify the Affertion, that the Stamp-AC} hath not left Them even the Sha- dow of a Privilege-It is indeed fomething difficult to imagine how the Order of Democracy, which is as much a Part of the Conflitution as Monarchy or Arillocracy, can exif‘t when the People are excluded from a Share in the executing, and a Share in the making of Laws; but that is mt the prelient Cafe; and, though Imay not be able to anfwer a fpecious Objeciion, formed upon general Principles, I am not obliged to adopt it, till Iam convinced of its Solidity. clamations, with the Confent of the Privy Council, were to operate as Laws; and another Statute of Richard II, that the Power of the Two Houfes fliould be vefted in Twelve Lords ; but thefe Aéts bear no Refemb/ame to the Stamp-Act. ‘ The Stamping Inflruments are to be retained in England-Vellum, Parchment, and Paper, are to be fent to America, ready I'tamped.--The firfl: Commiflioner of the Treafury, or the Commif fioners, or any Three or more of Them, are, by the Aét, impowered to fet any Price Upon the Vel‘ lum, Parchment and Paper, and the Paymen t of that Price is fecured and enforced by thefame Pains and Penalties that the Stamp-Duties are. A little Examination will find how unfair and deceptive the Reprefcntation is, that the Colonies in North flmcrim, " Two Millions of Britt/f) Sub" jeéts, an opulent, thriving and commercial People, contribute to the national Expence, no more than 7 or 800 /.]>er zimzam by Taxes railed there's" for though it lliould be acknowledged (which I neither admit not deny, becaule I do not know, nor have an Opportunity of coming at the Faét) that the Impolitions upon the Inhabitants of the Colonies do not raife there, a greaterSum than hath been Hated, it doth not follow that " the Inhabitants of the Colonies are indulged at " the Expence of Gran! Britain, and that the " neediefi BrifzflJ Cottager, who out of his fcalnty If V‘ (K )1:- |
