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Show [94] Such, Sir, is my idea ofthe conflitution of the Britifh Empire, as dif'tinguifhed from the confii~-" tution of Britain; and on thefe grounds I think fubordination and liberty may be fufficiently reconciled through the whole; whether to ferve a refining fpeculatif‘r, or a faé‘tious demagogue, I know not; but. enough furely for the cafe and happinefs of man. Sir, whilft we held this happy courfe, we drew more from the Colonies than all the impotent violence of defpotifm ever could extort from them. We did this abundantly in the laf't war. It has never been once denied- and what reafon have we'to imagine that the Colonies would not have proceeded in fupplying government as liberally, if you had not {lepped in andhindered them from contributing, by interrupting the channel in which their liberality flowed with to ftrong a courfe; by attempting to take, ini‘tead of being fatisfied to receive. Sir \Villiain Temple fays, that Holland has loaded itfelf with ten times the impolitions which it revolted from Spain, rather than fubmit to. He fays true. Tyranny is a poor-provider.It knows neither how to accumulate, nor how to extraa. I charge therefore to this new and unfortunate fyftem the lofs not only of peace, of union, and of commerce, but even of revenue, which its friends are contending for.-lt is morally certain , that we have loll at lead a million of free grants- fince the peace. Ithink we have loft a great deal more; and that thofe who look for a revenu e from the Provinces, never could have purfue d, even [95] even in that light, a courfe more direflly repu gnant to their purpofes. Now, Sir, Itruft I have fhewn, firf‘t on that narrow ground which the Hon. Gentleman meafured, that you are like to lofe nothing by complying with the motion, except what you have loft already. I have fhewn afterwards, that in time of peace you fiourifhed in commerce, and . when war required it, had ihfficient aid from the Colonies, while you purfued your antient policy; that you threw every thing into confufion when you made the {lamp act; and that you reflored every thing to peace and order when you repealed it. lhave {hewn that the revival of the iyftem of taxation has produced the very worit etfefls; and that the partial repeal has produced, not partial good, but univerfal evil. Let theie confiderations, founded on fafts, not one of which can be denied, bring us back to your reafon by the road of your experience. I cannot, as l have faid, anfwer for mixed mea- fures; but furely this mixture of lenity would give the whole a better chance of fuecefs. When you once regain confidence, the way will be clear before you. Then you may enforce the 2161‘ of navigation when it ought to be enforced. You will yourfelves open it where it ought itill further to be opened. Proceed in what you do, whatever you do, from policy, and not from rancour. Let us :16}; like men, let Us aft like fiatefmen. Let us hold fome fort of confident conduc‘t-It is agreed that a revenue is not to be had in America. If we lofe the profit, let us get rid of the odium. 0n |