304 on the coal duties in Scotland. Dec. 26. 
' people intrusted to their care, could not obtain a more 
fnfallible rule for judging of the beneficial or} hurtful ten- 
dency of any individual tax, or its congruity or incongrui- 
ty to the different local circumstances of the country in 
various places, than to remark what is the guantum of the 
been hitherto obliged to be at, in attempting in vain, to obtain a de- 
gree of influence not one hundredth part fo great as this law, at one 
{troke, would confer upon them. All that the great proprietors of land 
would then have to do, would be to leave their tenants without leafes, 
as is at prefent done in many parts of England, fromthe fame motive ; 
and then, if ever a tenant fhould vote differently from what his land- 
. Jord wifhed him to do, he would be fure to be turned out of his farm. 
Thus would a noble duke, or other perfon of great fortune, be able, 
without trouble or expence, to make, perhaps, five or fix county mem~ 
bers when he pleafed ; fo that the frequency of elections would give 
him no difturbance.—Leffer proprietors, as happened of old in the in- © 
fancy of our conftitution, before the principles of freedom grew up in 
it, feeling their own infignificance, and that they could onlybecome of con- 
fequence, by allying themfelves with their powerful neighbours, would pay 
them homage, that they in theirturn might receive protection. The free- 
dom of which we juitly boaft at prefent, would thus be, in a moment, ef- 
fectually deftroyed; and in a few years, we fhould be as defpicable flaves, 
as thofe of Poland or Ruffia now are. Thefe confeguences are clearly the 
refult of the meafures fo warmly recommended by even the moderate 
part of thofe who ftile themfelves the friends of the people. As to 
thofe who with to imitate the conduct of France, it difcovers fuch a 
degree of infanity, that to pretend to reafon with them would be high- 
ly ridiculous. ‘Thofe who cannot fee at once the ruinous tendency of 
the conduct of that people, for fyftem of government it cannot be 
called, could not be convinced, were one even raifed from the dead 
to warn them of it. 
From thefe flight fetches, which might be extended much farther, 
I fhould fain hope, it would be made apparent, that the bufinefs of a 
reform in government, is a matter of much greater intricacy, and more 
ferious difficulty, than many perfons feem at prefent to apprehend ; and 
will be convinced that the wifeft thing that can be done, is to avoid 
bafly and indigefed innovations, or great alterations of any fort; and 
that this ought to be particularly guarded againft, at a time when the 
‘minds of the multitude, heated by wild and impracticable notions, run 
arifk of influencing the decifions of even the higher orders of the com- 
munity. It is a maxim in private life, that no man ought to act, ina 
cafe of importance, while he feels himfelf under the influence of any 
ftrong paffion or prejudice: The rule will equally apply to the con- 
duct of men, in regard to public affairs. 
