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Show 34o ACTS RELATING ‘ Part III. Se&.II. Promifes had been made of hearing and redrefiing grievances : when the time came they would fearcely hear complaints of grievances. Promifes had been made of maintaining the fupreme authority of Great Britain : the way thefe promifes were fulfilled, was by invefiing his majef'ty with a power, which, according to them, he was invefied with before. What elfe did they do? juf't nothing. Things were left in the fame Rate of uncertainty and confufion at the end as at the beginning of the feflions. If parliament was backward in {peaking out, the fame could not be objected to the miniftry. It was no longer than five days TO THE COLONIES. 341 " trary, from men with faflious and fe- " ditious views, that his majef'ty's pre" fent adminifiration have at no time " entertained a defign to propofe to par~ " liament, to lay any furt/zer taxes upon " America for the purpofe of raifing a " revenue ; and that it is at prefent their " intention to propofe, in the next feflions, " to parliament to take OH: the duties upon " glafs, paper, and colours; upon con" fideration of fuch duties having been " laid contrary to the true principles of " commerce '36." Icannot affent to many of the fevere flriétures which have been made upon this after the prorogation of parliament, that letter.--It is unfair to call it, as it has a circular letter was written by lord Hillf- borough, then fecretary of Rate for the co- lonies. In this letter, after reciting the fubf'tance of the king's fpeech, the fecretary fays : "I can take upon me to aiTure you, been called 1 " the promife of a peer, re" lative to the repeal of taxes."--The letter was written oflicially; by a fecretary who indeed happened to be a peer. But whole was the promife? the promife not of the " notwithflanding infinuations to the con8 " trary, peer, but of the firretary. Nor is it a * See Burke's Speech, p. 24, 25. 1‘ lb. p. 26. Z3 i m minim-m ,- ! T "In lllllll a I. |