a 78 HISTORY OF THE [book vi. 
But to this it may be answered, that if the go¬ 
vernor’s schemes are in the opinion of the council, 
repugnant to the true interests of the people, their 
opposition to such schemes cannot be deemed a 
violation of their oath of fidelity 5 nor does it neces¬ 
sarily follow that they thereby divulge what they 
have sworn to keep secret. 
It appears to me, that the people at large resi¬ 
ding within the colonies, have much more cause 
of apprehension than their governors, from the ex¬ 
istence and exercise of legislative authority, in so 
unstable a body as the board in question: lor al¬ 
though its individual members ought to be, and I 
believe indeed commonly are, men of weight and 
property in their respective countries, yet a terri¬ 
torial qualification is not indispensably necessary to 
their appointment, as in the case of members cho¬ 
sen into the assembly. Persons therefore may be, 
and I am afraid in former times have been, nomi¬ 
nated to the council, who have no natural concern 
in the welfare of the colony, no community of in¬ 
terests with its inhabitants, and who consider them¬ 
selves wholly at the governor’s disposal, and bound 
to support all his measures, how'ever incompatible 
with the general good. Again : From the power 
which the governors assume of arbitrarily indicting 
the rod of suspension, the board has not stability 
sufficient to insure respect to its resolutions. It 
has neither strength nor independency. Such of 
the members therefoye as have property in the 
country, may perhaps sometimes find themselves 
