4 
1796. ] . 
and wealth of the people, upon which 
depend the national ftrength, the ability 
zo encounter future difficulties, and 
achieve ufeful undertakings —and by 
which pofterity would eftimate the wif- 
dom-and utility of our frame of govern- 
ment. That, by receiving the Jews 
into our community, and admitting 
them to a participation of. our civil rights, 
they would contraét a warm attachment 
-to our conilitution and country, and 
gladly divide with us tne public burdens, 
That a great portion of the funds be- 
longing to foreign Jews, it was our ob- 
vious intereft to induce them to follow 
their property, and to expend here an 
income which was yearly exported to a 
‘clear lofs. That, conneéted as the Jews 
were with the great bankers, and monied 
intereft of Europe, their refidence here, 
svould, im future wars, give us a great 
command of capital, and facilitate our 
loans. ‘hat even their prejudices, as a 
fect, would operate in our favour, and 
eccafion our manufaétures to be dif- 
perfed among the multitudinous Jew- 
fhopkeepers in Europe, who now’ re- 
curred to the Jew-merchants cf Holland 
and the other tolerant countries. ‘That 
Poland had never rifen to fo high a pitch 
of civil, literary, and commercial diflinc- 
tion as when her policy was moft liberal 
toward Sacinians and Jews; and that 
the feét, itfelf, had always abandoned 
its offenfive prejudices in proportion to 
its good ufage. 
On the other fide, it was urged, that, 
born as we are to privileges and exclufive 
rights, we did not, by this bill, fell 
our birth-right, like Efau, for any 
confideration however inadequate ; but 
fooliihly gave it away. That if. the 
Jews, about to be naturalized, belonged 
to the numerous claffes, we fhould import 
vagrants and cheats to burden our rates, 
gr fupplant the induftry of our lefs par- 
fimonious poor—if to the wealthy claffes, 
who cannot procure a fettlement elfe- 
where, they wonld become the higheft 
bigders for our landed eftates, difpoffefs 
the Chrifiian owners, attract around 
them their butchers, bakers, and. poul- 
terers (for they can eat nothing of our 
killing) and, bye and bye, would en- 
danger our religion itfelf. That the 
rites of the Jews will for ever refift their 
incorporation with other nations, for 
any common purpofes, while their early 
Marriages and frequent divorces pro- 
mote fo rapid aa increafe of their num- 
bers, that they might become, like the 
Pitch in the kennel, tgo ftrong for their 
Hiftory of ews in England. 
199 
hofpitable patrons. That it had a ten- 
dency to imbroil us with foreign powers : 
we mufi reclaim, for inftance, as a Bri- 
tith fubjeét, any Portuguefe Jew whe 
fhould come over to be naturalized, and 
by indifcretions, expofe himfelf to the 
inguilition. “That the Jews were not 
given to manufactures, and, if they 
fhould open thops, would interfere with 
the profits and maintenance of Chriftians z 
for the number of dhops being adequate 
to the confumption, could only be in- 
created with injury to the eftablifhed. 
That Jewith nationality would intrigue 
ail the trade into their own hands; that 
they were enemies upon principle to all 
Chriftians ; and that it was fying in the 
face of the Almighty to gather together 
a feét, of which the bible forerold the 
difperiion. 
The trumpet of alarm was fir found- 
ed ‘by the lord mayor, aldermen, and 
commons of the city of Londen, whio, in 
a petition to parliament, expreffed their 
apprehention, that the bill, if paffed into 
a law, would tend greatly to the difho- 
nour of the’ Chriftian religion, and in- 
danger the excellent conftitution. 
The Earl of *Kemont became their 
mouth-piece ; who, in an artful fpecch, 
countenanced’ and inflamed the unge- 
nerous biyotry of the multitude. The 
Eneglifh have always enjoyed a cry of 
alarm, when there is no real danger ; 
becaufe it inhances, for the time, the per- 
fonal importance of each individual. Te 
flatters his love of confequence to be call- 
ed ‘upon to ftand up for his church and 
king, when he ts not likely to be expofed 
to the ruffle of conteft, or the humilia- 
tion of defeat. Accordingly, a zeal, the 
moft. furious, vociferated in the pulpirs 
and corporations againft the bill, and, by 
the next feffions of parliament, initruc- 
tions were fent to almoft all the members 
to folicit a repeal of it. 
The minifier did pot attempt to refi 
the torrent, but was among the foremott 
who fpoke in favour of the repeal: he 
was anfwered, with much force of rea- 
foning, and a truly liberal fpirit, by 
‘Thomas Potter, Efg. to whofe fpeech a 
very elegant reply was delivered by Six 
George Littleton: and the Jew bill was 
repealed, by an Aét which received the 
royal affent the fame felfion. Attempts 
too were made, but fuccefsfully oppofed 
by Mr. Pelham and Mr. Pitt, to repeal 
fo much of An Aét for naturalizing fo- 
reigners in America, as did not exclude 
Jews. Such was the fpirit of intolerance 
which the parliamentary leaders of the 
people 
