OCR Text |
Show 14- Tm: RIGHTS oi BRITAIN AND CLAIMS or A M E RIC A; attention of the body of men who lately {at at Philadelphia under the name of " The General " American Congrefs," In a paper publiihed under the title of " A DECLARATION by the Re. " prefentatives of the 'nited Coionirs of North the degrees of freedom in various Governments, confiits merely in the manner of placing this new celiary driesetionary power. In the Britiih [Em- pire it is vetted, where it is mot‘t faie, in King, "‘ America"? the fails are either willfully or igno- Lords, and Commons, under the colleétive app-liaiion of the Legtilature. The Legiflature is rantly mifrepretcnted; and the arguments deduced another name for the confiitution ofthe tlate; and, from premit‘es that have no foundation in truth. But, as whatever falls from men who call thtmftlves the Reprei'entatives of a People, mufi tall in fafit, the {late itfelf. own themfelvcs the fubjeéts of the flate; but with tome degree of weight on the minds of the lature, they play upon words, and are no longer undiircerning part of mankind, itbeeomes, in tome fubjeéts, but rebels. In vain have they aflirmed that they are the {objects of the King's prerogative, and not his {ubjeéts in his legiflative qua- meafure, necefl‘ary to examine briefly the reaions held forth by the Congrels tojuilily the rebellion The Americans {till if they ref‘ufc obedience to the laws of the Legifw On a lubjeft {o trite, ar-7 lity; as the King, with regard to his {objects in. grime its advanced by other writers may tometimes general, is to be confidered only in his executive capacity as the great hereditary Mngiflrate, who of their Conflituents. recur; but novelty is lets the ohjeét of this part ofthe difquifition, than perfpicuity and precifion. The declaration of the Congreis begins with an involved period, which either contains no carries into efleet the laws of the Legiflature, the meaning, or a meaning not founded on the prin- The difcretionary and uncontroulahle authority of the Britith Legrflarure being granted, their right to tax all the {objects of the Britilh Empire ciples ot mam. They teem to inlinuare, that no body of men, in any Empire, can exercife an " unbounded authority over others ;" an opinion contrary to fail under every form of Government. No maxim in policy is more univerlaily admitted, than that a inprenie and uncontroulahle power mutt exifl: fomewhere in every (late. This ultimate power, thonghjuttly dreaded and reprobated in the tierton otom: MAN, is the hill {pring in every Political Society. The great difference, between the f" Yide trotn page 5. to 139 only difcretionary and uncontroulable power in a free fiate. can never be denied. Some ill-informed reafoners in politics have lately "(13'th an ohfolete maxim, which has been teized with avidity by the Americans, That " the Supreme Power cannot talte " from any one any part of his property without " his content 5 or in other words, That Reprel‘entation is inteparable from Taxation. The (Solonit'ts, fay they, have no Repretentativcs in Parliamcnt, and therefore Parliament has no right to tax the Colonitls. Upon this prin ‘iisle carce one in twenty-five ot the people of GreaturBrizain is reprelentcd. |