143 



which starved all alike; and whic-li had a tendency to fix an eternal 

 hatred of England and of rarlianienl in the minds of the Americans. 



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

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

 voke<l by the most criminal disobedience; it is merciful, because thai 

 disobedience would have justified military execution ; and as to the 

 famine which had been so ptilhcficalhj lamcvtcd, he was a/raid, lie said, that 

 U u-ould not he produced bij (lie act. The people of New England, though 

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

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

 had a kind of grain of their own — Indian corn — on wliich they might 

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

 not, was no matter that he was bound to consider. 



Lord John Cavendish expressed himself to be shocked at the perfiict 

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

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

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

 of the crov.-n had commended the bill because it was not sanguinary, 

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

 man's blood be not shed, he raa}^ be destroyed with great gentleness in 

 any other way whatsoever. As for himself, he could not but regard 

 the bill as alienating the Am.ericans forever, and rendering useless any 

 jx)ssible plan of reconciliation. 



Mr. Rice adopted the proposition l)efore 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 little pur})ose. The road by penitence to amend- 

 ment was, he knew, humiliating and dilllcult. 



The greater part of mankind were disposed to think like ^lacl^eth; 



" I am in blood 

 Stcpt in so far, tliar nhould I wade no more, 

 Returning were as tedious as go o'er. " 



And thus thev pass toward the further bank, be the channel ever so 

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

 same spirit as all former ones, and he di<l not doubt would be produc- 

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

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

 ples were prolific: the lioslon Port liill begot this New England bill; 

 this New England bill will beget a. \'irginia bill ; again, a Carolina 

 bill; and that will beget a Pennsylvania l)ill, lill, 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 ot proscrip- 

 tifHi — a frightful codcofrigfjr and tvrann\' — a monstrous digest of acts 

 of" pinalty, incapax^ity, and gfnera.l attainder; so that, open it wIktc 

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

 some province. This act conl()un(Is all kinds of people, all ages, 

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

 cruel, and more insulting, than lohoKlout, as a resource to the stai'ving 



