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Show w-rr "‘"',‘\ii [22} [23] in tho Dasmous and determined as we are to confider ds a towar vance ng'ad teemi molt dilipalhonate View, every their plan of civil government within their own jurif- diction, we alfo hope to purine ours without moleitation. let our bre~ reconciliation made by the Britt/Cl) parliament, {acrifice the been have would what reflect n Britai thrcn of rcd, profe been terms to men of free fpirits, had even fair ces of as their: inliduous propolals were With circumilan y, mone our give to fition propo A ce. defian inl‘ult and fied addre accompanied with large fleets and arnnes, feems pa;to our fears rather than to our freedom. With what tience would Britons have received articles of treaty from any power on earth, when borne on the point of a bayonet by military plenipotentaries ? VJE are of opinion, the propoiition is altogether unfa- tisfaé‘tory, becaufe it imports only a i'ulpenlion of the mode, not a renunciation of the pretended right to tax us ; becaufe too it does not propofe to repeal the feveral acts of parliament pafiéd for the purpofes of rellraining the trade, and altering the form of government of one (if our colonies; extending the boundaries and changing the government of Qiebec ; enlarging the juril‘dié‘tioh of the courts of admiralty and vice admiralty 3 taking from us the rights of trial by a jury of the vicinagc, in cafes We think the attempt unnecelTary to raife upon us by alleéting both life and propert;v ; tranfporting us into other force or by threats our proportional contributions to the countries to be tried for criminal or‘f‘t‘nces ; exempting by common defence, when all know, and themfelves acknow- lege, we have fully contributed whenever called upon to do [0 in the character of freemen. "Ill III'I' WE are of opinion it is not juil that the colonies {hould be required to oblige themlelves to other contributions, while Great-Britain poflefles a monopoly of their trade. This of itfelf lays them under heavy contribution. To demand therefore a! ditional aids in the farm of a tax, is to demand the double of their equal proportion; if we, are to contribute equally with the other parts of the em- pire, let us equally with them enjoy free commerce with the whole world. But while the rell'riétions on our trade ihut to us the refources of wealth, is it juit we fliould‘ hear all other burthens equally with thofe to whom every reiource is Open 3 VJ}: conceive that the Britifl) parliament has no right to intermeddle with our provifions for the {upport of Civil government, or adrniiiiili‘zitiOii of juitice. The provifions we have made are liich as pleaie ourfelves, and are agreeable to our own circuinilances : they anfwer the fubllantial puryioles of government and of juitice, and other purpol'es than thefe lhould not be aniwered. We do not meanthat our people {hall be btzrthencd with oppreflive taxes, 780 provide line cures for the idle or the wicked, under Colour of providing for a, civil lilt. While parliament purfue their mock-trial the murderers of coloniils from puizir'hmcnt; and quarterir-g foldicrs on us in time; of profound peace. I": or do they renounce the power of impending our own legiflatures, and legillating for us t'temi'lee-s in all cafes whatloever. On the contrary, to {hew they ntean no difcontinuance of injury, they pafs acts at the very time of, holding out this propolition, for reflraining the commerce and filheries of the provinces of Aluw-Eng/and, and for ii'itei'dicting the trade of other colonies with all foreign nations, and with each other. This proves unequivocally they mean not to relinquifl] the exerciie of indif-z criminate lcgiflation over us. UPON the whole, this propofition feems to have been held up to the world, to deceive it into a belief that there was nothing in difpute between us but the mode of levying taxes; and that the parliament having now been {0 good as to give up this, the colonies are unreafonable if not perfefl‘ly fatisfied : whereas in truth, our adverfaries fiill claim a right of demanding (1d lilvz'tum, and of taxinv us themfelves to the full amount of their demand, if w: do not comply with it. This leaves us without any thinw we can call property. But what is of more importancea and what in this propofal they keep out of fight, as if m; iuch point was now in contei't between us, they claim a right to alter our charters and eltablifhed laws, and leave us without any {ccurity for our lives or liberties. The pro? ' polition |
