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Show l 3 J Expenee of the Commons of dinerz'cd? T0 give Property, not belonging to the Giver, and without the Confent of the Owner, is fuch evident and flagrant Injuitice, in ordinary Cafes, that few, are hardy enough to avow it; and therefore, when it really happens, the Faét is difguifed and varnifhed over by the moft plaufible Pretences the Ingenuity of the Giver can fuggeft. _ But it is alledged that there is a Virtual, or implied Repre- flizmtioa of the Colonies fpringing out of the Conititution of the Britifl) Government: And it mutt be confefl‘ed on all Hands, that, as the Repre- fentation is not aflual, it is virtual, or it doth not exil'c at all, for no third Kind of Reprefentation can be imagined. The Colonies claim the Privi- vilcge, which is common to all Britifb Sit/Ijec ‘ir, of being taxed only with their own Content given by their Reprefentatives, and all the Advocates for the Simiip Alf} admit this Claim. Whether, therefore, upon the whole Matter, the Impofition of the Stamp Duties is a proper Exercife of Conlti-s tutionalAuthority, or not, depends upon the fingle Qiei'tion, Whether the Commons ot'Grea.‘ Britain are virtue/{v the ReprefentatiVes of the Commons 50f ad'tiierira, or not. fiatisf'aé‘tory than mere Affertion, more folid than a Form of Expreflion, is neceHary; for, how can It be ferioully expected, that Themfelves injurioufly afleetcd Men, who think in their Properties and Privileges, will be convinced and reconciled by a fanciful Phrafe, the \Mtaning of which can't be precifely alfcertained by thole who ufe it, or pron perly applied to the l'urpotc forwhich it hath been advanced. ‘ u They argue, that " the Righ t of Eleétion being annexed to certain Sp ecies of Property, to Frank3 chiies, and Inhabitancy in to me particular Places g; :1 very linall Part of the La nd, the Property, and " the People of ling/am! is comprehended in thote " Dekriptions. All Landed Property, not Free- 5‘ hold, and all Monied Property, are excluded. " The Merchants of Lo ndon, the Pro rietors of " the Public, Funds, the Inhabitants of Leeds, t‘ Halifax, Birmingham", an d Mailtlfléj/iEI‘, and that " great Corporation of th e Eafl India Company f" None of Them chute the ir Reprefentatives, and " yet are They all reprefent ed ‘F the Colonies being exmfi‘ly in in Parliament, and the " reprelented in the fame Mann ir Situation, are er." e: Now this Argument, which is all The Advocates for the Stamp Adi admit, in ex~ prels 'l‘erms, that " the Colonies do not chute " Members of Parliament," but They afiei' t that the Colonies are‘virlzzezflv repreiented in the fame Manner with the Non-lileelors t‘elident in Great Erimin." How have They proved this Poiition ? \Vhere hav e They defined, or precifely explaine d what 1 hey mean by the Expreliion, iii-11ml Repr cfeflm"after .9 As it is the very Hinge upon whi ch the 1) ix e :e‘titn-zle of the 'l‘azvzation turns, fom t ething more fatisfaétory that their In, vention hath been able to l'upply, is totally defec. tive -, for, it conliits ofFaet s not true, and ofCon-s clufions inadmiflible. ‘ It is {0 far from being true, that all the Perfons enumerated under the Charaé ter of Non-Eleetarr, are in that Predicament, that it is indubitabl certain there is no Species of Pro perty, landed, or monied, which is not pom-flied by very many of the £71757}; E/ezfim. l ' , B :2 l {hall |
