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Show 436 ' PREFACE to Mr. Galloway'r Spam/J. whom might fuffer in their rents, 55°C. as much in proportion to their eitates as the proprietaiies. --But if he cannot on thefe conhderations q‘uite excufe the aliembly, what will he think 0t tnefe lmzozrmlilr proprietaries; who, when paper money \‘V;‘;:: ifliieiii in their colony, for the common (/6 cure of their mi} ef'tates with tlioie of the people, and who mull therefore reap at leafl' equal advantages from thofe bills with the people ;A could neverthelefswith to be exempted from their Iliare ofthe un- avoidable difadvantages. Is there upon earth a man befides,with any conception of what is honei't, With any notion of honour, with the leaft tincture in his [P. P.] Pro/Jrzi'lm'z'cr Objec‘tions {0 a Law. 437 Here then we have had a full View of the Affim/J/y's injuflice; about whi ch there has been {0 much infolent triumph l-But let the proprie- taries and their difcreet deputies hereafter recollect and remember, that the fam e auguf't tribunal which cenfured fome of the mod es and circumftances of that act, did at the fam e time eftablifh and confirm the grand principle of the act, viz. " That the proprietary ettzite ought, with other " eflates, to be taxed :" And thereby did in effect det ermine and pronounce, that the oppo fition f0. long made in various fliapes to thatjuft principle, by the proprzi'tizrier, was fundamentally WRO NG veins of the Gentleman; butwould have blufhed at and UNJUST. the thought , but would have rejected With difdait: the Aflbiiibly, under any necefiity of committing fuch undue preference, if it had been offered him . Much lefs would he have firuggled for it, moved heaven and earth to obtain it, refolved to ruin thoufands of his tenants by a repeal of the act, rather than mifs of it $'9; and enforce it afterwards by an audacioufly wicked inf'rruétion ; forbidding aids to his king, and expofing the province to defiruétion, unlefs it was complied» with. And yet,-Thefe are HONOURABLE men 1-. Here An injufiice they were not, like for the public good; or any other neceflity , but wha t was impofed on them by thofe bafe pafli ons that ad the tyrant in bad minds,- their felfi flinefs, their pride, and their avarice. I have frequently mentioned the equimé/e 2'72{antiwar of the Hazy/é in thofe parts of the act that were fuppofed obfcure, and how they were under - Charles, had not interpofed, and voluntarily, Iwnhout authority flood here.---A clear proof thereof is found , as I have already faid, in the actual execution of the act: In the execution ofit before the conteft about it in England ; and therefore before their Lord - from the afl‘embly f0 to do, but at their own rifque; undertake: fhips objections to it had a being.-VVhen the re- " This would have been done, and the money all funk in the hands of the people; if the agents, Benjamin Franklin and Ixaérrt that thofe amendments Ihould be made, or that they themfelves wot? indemnify the proprietaries from any damages they might fuflaun or want thereof. An attion which , as the prefacer {ays in another cafe, ‘" pofierity perhaps may find a name for." . . h 1~ It is not eafy to guefs from what fource our‘vproprietanes ave have eilablillied it a maxim in equity, "(bi fentit commedum, " {entire dcbct et onus." And {0 confifient is this with the common fenfe of mankind, that even our lowett untaught coblers and feel the force of it in their own maxim (which my are honefl porters enough drawn their principles.» Thofe who 'ttudy law andiufiicc as a Rigs: lever to difpute) ‘f Touch pot, touch penny}? port- |