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Show [.94] [95] is in the King ; they afford us no Idea 4} Par/fa. the King's conflituting a Number of independent meat. " The Lord was in early Times the Legiflator and Judge 0v er all his Feutlatories, " {gays judge Blackflone. By the Struggles for Liberty in England from the Days of King John to the Governments in America ? That King Charles the Firfl did actually fet up a Government in lafl happy Revolution, the Conllitution has been gradually changing for the better ,- and upon the more rational Principles that all Men by Nature are in a State of Equality in Refpeét of Jurifdic, tion and Dominion, Power in England has been more equallydivided. And thus alfo in America, though we hold our Lands agreeably to the Feu- this Colony, conceding to it Powers of making and executing Laws, without any Refervafion to the Englilh Parliament, of Authority to make future Laws binding therein, is 3 F36! which your Excellency has not difproved if you have denied it. Nor have you lhewn that the Parliament or Nation objected to it, from Whencewe have inferred that it was an acknowledged Right. And we cannot conceive, why the King has not the fame Right "to alienate and dif. dal Principles ofthe King ; yet our Predeceflbrs wifely took care to enter into Compact with the pole of Countries acquired by the Difcovery of King that Power here fl-tould alfo be equally divided agreeable to the original fundamental Princi- his Subjefls, as he has to " rellore upon aTreaty of Peace Countries which have been acquired in ples of the Englifh Conflitution, declared in War," carried on at the Charge of the Nation ; or to ‘* fell and deliver up any Part of his Dominions to a foreign Prince or State, againll: the General Senle of the Nation" which is "an A6: of Power" or Pntogatch which yourExcellency allows. You tell us that "when any New Countries are difcovered by Englifh Subjeéts, according to the general Law and Ulage of Nations, 1123} deem: Part cf :6: State." The Law of Nations is or ought to be founded on the Law of Magna Charter, and other Laws and Statutes of England, made to confirm them. Your Excellency lays, " you can by no Means concede to us that it is now or was when the Plantations were firfl granted the Prerogative of the Kings of England to conflitnte a Number of new Governments altogether independent ofthe Sovereign Authority of the Englilh Empire." By the Feudal Prinmples upon which you fay " all the Grants which have been made of America are founded" " the Conflitutions of the Emptror have the Force of Law." If our Government be confidered as merely Feudatory. we are fubjeft to the King's abfolute ‘v‘~ ill, and there is no Room for thcAuthority of Parliament, as the Sovereign Authority of the Britilh Em- pire. Upon thefc Principles, what could hinder - the: Reafon. It was the Saying of Sir Edwm Sandts, in the great Cafe of the Union of the Realm of Scotland withEngland, which is applicable to our prefent Purpofe, that " there being noPrecedent for this Cafe in the Law, the Law IS < cficxent ; and the Law being deficient, Recourfe is to be had to Cnfiom; and Cullom being tnfuflicrent, we mull recur to natural Reafon," the greatclt of all Authorities, glitch he adds " 13 the Lem; C's |