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Show I N T R 0 D U C T I 0 N. p rem.acy of the Britiil1 legiilature; and every Engliil1man perhaps , the hard!hip of being taxed where there is no repre-fe nt ation, or affent. T here is fca rcely any fuch thing, I believe, as a perfeCt go-vernment, and folecifms are to be found in all. The prefen t difputes are fe emingly the refult of one.-N othing can be more undeniable th an the fupremacy of parliament over the mo!l: difl:ant branches of the Britifh empire: for although the king being efieemed, in the eye of the law, the original proprietor of all the lands in the kingdom ; all lands, upon defect of heirs to fuccced to an inheritance, efcheat to the king ; and all new d ifcovcred lands veft in him : yet in neither cafe can he exempt them from the j urifdicrion of the legiilature of the kingdom. He may grant them, under leafes or charters, to individuals or compan ies ; with liberty of making rules and regulations for the internal government and improvement of them; but fuch regulations mu!l: ever be confiilent with the laws of the kingdom, and fubjefr to their controul. On the other hand, I am extremely dubious, whether it be confiilent with the general principles of liberty (with thofe of the Britilh confiitution, I think, it is not), to tax where there • r. . . IS no repre1entatwn: the arguments h1therto adduced .from. M anchefier and Birmingham, and oth er grc:3:t towns, no h aving reprefent ati -ves, are foreign to the fubj ecr; at leai1 they are by no means equal to it ;-for every inhabitant, poffefie of fo r ty lhillings freehold, has a vote in the el crion of mcm- . bern I N T R 0 D U C T I 0 N. ~ · ers for the county: but it is not the perfons, but the property of men that is taxed, and there is not a foot of pro· perty in this kingdom, th at is not reprefented. It appears then, that certain principles exill: in the Dritifh conflitution, which militate with each other; the reafon of their doing fo is evident; it was never fuppofed that they would extend beyond the limits of Great Britain, or affeCt fo difian t a country as America. It is much to be wifhed, therefore, th at fome expedient could be thought of, to reconcile th em. The conduct of the feveral adminifirations, that have had the direCtion of the affairs of this kingdom, has been reciprocally arraigned; but, I think, without reafon ; for, all things confidered, an impartial and difpaffionate mind, will find many excufes to allege in j ufiification of each.-The fewe!l:, I am afraid, are to be pleaded in favour of the Americans, for they fettled in America under charters, which exprefs1y referved to the Britilh Parliament the authority, whether confifient or not confifient, now a!rerted. Although, therefore, they had a right to make humble reprefentations to his majefty in parliament, and to 1bew the impropriety and inconvenience of inforcing fuch principles, yet they had certainly no right to oppofe them. Expedients may fiill be found, it is to be hoped however, to conciliate the prefent unhappy differences, and refiore harmony again between Great Britain and her colonies; but whatever meafures may be adopted by parliament, I am fure, It IS the . . Vll |
