143 



which starved all alike; and wliich had a tendency to fix an eternal 

 hatred of England and of I'arliamcnt in the minds of the Americans. 



The Solicitor General of Scotland, Mr. Henry Dundas, said the bill 

 had his most hearty approbation. It is just, he declared, because pro- 

 voked by the most criminal disobedience ; it is merciful, because that 

 disobedience would have justified military execution; and as to the 

 famine tvhich had been so imthetically lamented, he was afraid, he said, that 

 it would not he produced by the act. The people of New England, though 

 deprived of the sea-fisheries, could still fish in their rivers; and though 

 he understood that the country was not fit for grain, yet the colonists 

 liad a kind of grain of their own — Indian corn — on which they might 

 subsist as well as they deserved; but whether they might so subsist or 

 not, was no matter that he M^as bound to consider. 



Lord .John Cavendish expressed himself to be shocked at the perfect 

 ease and alacriiy with which gentlemen voted famine to a whole people; 

 and he was particularly^ surprised at the ideas of clemency entertained 

 by the Iccirned gentleman who spoke last, (Dundas.) That functionary 

 of the crown had commended the bill because it was not sanguinary, 

 assuming that to kill by starving is not cruelty; and that, provided a 

 man's blood be not shed, he may be destroyed with great gentleness in 

 nn}^ other way whatsoever. As for himself, he could not but regaixl 

 the bill as alienating the Americans forever, and rendering useless any 

 possible plan of reconciliation. 



Mr. Rice adopted the proposition before the House, he stated, with 

 great pain and reluctance. It was harsh, but harsh measures were 

 unfortunately necessary. He was satisfied, fi-om a careful comparison 

 of all the parts of the proceedings of the Americans with each other, 

 that independence was their object. 



Mr. Burke now rose and said, that he was afraid any debate on 

 the subject was to httle purpose. The road by penitence to amend- 

 ment was, he knew, humiliating and difficult. 



The greater part of mankind were disposed to think like Macbeth: 



" I am in blood 

 Stept in so far, that should I wade no more, 

 Returaiug were as tedious as go o'er. " 



And thus they pass tov/ard the further bank, be the channel ever so 

 wide, or the flood ever so deep and rapid. This measure was in the 

 same spirit as all former oaes, and he did not doubt would be produc- 

 tive of the very same consequences. This, continued he, is in elfect 

 the Boston Port Bill, but upon infinitely a larger scale. Evil princi- 

 jiles were prolific : the Boston Port Bill begot this New England bill; 

 this New England bill will beget a Virginia bill ; again, a Carolina 

 bill ; and that will beget a Pennsylvania bill, till, one by one, Parlia- 

 ment will ruin all its colonies, and root up all its commerce, and the 

 statute-book become nothing but a black and bloody roll ol proscrip- 

 tion — a frightful code of rigor and tyranny — a monstrous digest ot acts 

 of penalty, incapacity, and general attainder; so that, open it where 

 you will, you will find a title for destroying some trade, or ruining 

 some province. This act confounds all kinds of people, all ages, 

 all sexes, in one common ruin. Nothing can be more Ibolish, more 

 cruel, and more insulting, than to hold out, as a resource to the starving 



