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Show Sect. VII. 430 ACTS RELATING TO THE Commas. 43r l3art Ill. meet, and pals refolves, in 0rd}: that they No doubt " the inhabitants had paired " many unwarrantable t'efolves;" but might grow difcontentce will government; does it therefore follow, that free meet- but they met and mild thele refolves be- ings {hould be difallowed, becaule free caufe they were already dilbontented. \Vhere the meafurcs ofgovcrnment are directly contrary to the iiiterells, and de- meetings had been abuledE-What is it that may not be abufed Pi-Convivial meetings may be abufed; they often are {0: would you therefore pals a law, that no‘ man {hould give or receive a dinner, With- out the permiflion of government P Bring the cafe nearer home: however dange- rous and unwarrantable the refolves of the town-meetings may have been in Mafia- chufet's Bay, they were certainly neither more dangerous, nor more unwarrantable, than many refolves palled in the townmeetings at London. Why did not government apply the fame remedy to the fame evil, exi‘f'ting and operating under its firue‘tive of the happinefs, of the whole community, no doubt public meetings are dangerous to government; and for that very reafon they are beneficial to the community, grievances are mutually communicated ; plans of redrefs are con- certed; fupport is mutually promil‘ed.-Th's plea, l fuppofe, will not be {ct up in defence of the provilions of this act; yet upon no other plea can I conceive them to be defenlible. For where the meafures of government are levelled not againft the interel't of the community in general, but own eye 3 againft the views and interells of afafl/arz He would furely be mifiaken who {up- pofed, that the town-meetings rfly'éa' the fpiritofdifcontcnt: theydid notraife, they only, it is there at molt an equal chance, found it. Men were not called together to pofe the worft: fuppofe the prevailing faction meet, whether public meetings will, or will not be attended with inconvenience. But fup- i J!" ._ lulu. |
