2 
1796. | 
gerous herefy in politics been fuffered to 
exift a moment uncontradiéted by men, 
who profefs themfelves the admirers of 
order and good yovernment, feeling it 
too abfurd to deferve an anfwer, to tup- 
pofe, that what neither the deep diftrets 
of the Americans, or the times of anar- 
chy in Franee, during the reign of Ro- 
befpierre, could bring them, as a nation, 
to adopt, will, by the wealthy, refleét- 
log, and virtuous part of our country - 
men, be ever countenanced.—I mean, 
the open robbery of the public cigditor. 
Yet he, who, for a moment, by his 
filence, encourages the difcuffion of fuch 
a fubjeét, in fuch a country as this, is 
nearly as guilty of the projeéted wrong, 
as the profligate who firit ftarted the 
difhoneft idea ; but fince fuch an idea has 
evidently gone furth, it becomes the 
bounden duty of the firft minifter to 
come forward in the Houfe of Commons, 
for the honour of the country, and dif- 
claim all conneétion with fo impolitic, fo 
ynjuft a fuggeftion. 
That we have been drawn into a 
fhameful mafs of debt, and many times 
to accomplifh the moft fhameful purpofes, 
yo man can difprove; but fince every 
man in the kingdom, by paying taxes, 
has guaranteed thefe minifteriai loans, 
we are all become partakers of the con- 
feguences, and partners in the aéts—to 
let them go no fariber 1s alone im our own 
power; buttoannihilate the paft engage- 
ments, is out of the reach of men guid- 
ed by moral reétitude? 
I would willingly here conclude this 
fhort appeal, by recommending to my 
eountrymen, for all our fakes, to lofe no 
time in dilcountesancing fuch unjuft dif- 
-cuffions as thofe 1 allude to; and to the 
minifiers and parliament, by an open 
vote of recognition of rights, to put the 
idea out of the queftion ; but I cannot 
take my leave of the fubjeét, without 
advancing one, out of an hundred ar- 
uments, to diffuade the weak and for- 
did landholder, from falling in this fnare, 
fo deeply laid to catch his cupidity, by 
defiring him to refleét, what might be 
the confequence of a civil war (which 
fuch a ftep would certainly produce) if 
attended with fuccefs to the monied 
party, who, in foreclofing for ever fuch 
a grand mortgage, would undoubtedly 
‘find themfelves in poffeffion of nearly all 
‘the property in the kingdom. 
I amy, &c. 
OF. 10, 1797. 
G.C, 
Origin of the Right to Reprefentation. ; 271 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magaziiz. 
MR. EDITOR, 
BJECTIONS haye been lately made 
6 a parliamentary reform, by acer- 
tain clafs of perfons, of a yery fingular 
Nattire; and it is curious to notice the 
fhifts that men have recourfe to, to get 
rid of embarrafflments, where their pre- 
judices or thvir interefts are affected. 
Since the revolution in France, it has 
been noticed, and not without caufe, 
that it is a dangerous thing to admit the 
people at large to.a participation of 
power ; as there 1s no knowing to what 
extent the exercife or abufe of that 
power may be carried, 
We have feen in France an entire 
oveithrow of the royal authority, the 
deftruétion of the nobility, the demoli- 
tion of the church, and, far as it exifted 
in the Romith church, of Chriftianity it- 
felf. To what caufe or caufes fhall we 
attribute thefe extraordinary events? In 
part, no doubt to oppreffion, and, in 
part, to the depravity of human nature. 
Let us explain this :—It is notorious, 
that the king was infincere in the con- 
cefhons which he made refpe@ting the 
conftitution of 1789; that he refufed to 
take the neceflary ftepsto fupport it by 
putting his veto on the vote of the na- 
tional affembly for the, defence of the 
capital—and, by forming a league with 
the combixed power, who were, at that 
period (in confequence of the treaty of 
Pilnitz) invading France. This perfidy 
wrovght fo ftrongly on the national af- 
fembly, that they formed the horrid re- 
folution to deftroy him. Had he been 
fufpended on account of it, from the 
exercife of the roval authority, fo far, 
perhaps, was neceffary to their perfonal 
fafety ; but they proceeded much farther. 
The fubfequent deftruction of the mo- 
narchy, the entire annihilation of the no- 
bility, and of the church, alarmed this 
country and the governments of Eu- 
rope. <Apprehenfion feized the higher 
orders here, and particularly the church, 
left the infeétion fhould fpread, and 
reach us, A war was commenced to 
ftop it; and, among other proceedings, 
a novel idea has been ftarted, refpeéting” 
the principles of the conftitution ; how 
far it will ftand the teft of truth, I am 
about to examine. . 
It has always been underftood, I be- 
licve, that reprefentation was a Jeading’ 
principle in the Englif conftirution, 
This faé& is now combated, and for rea, 
fons which are obvious. During the 
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