& 
1779-1 
dom afterwards advanced in population, 
the reprefentation increafed.. I have 
feen a ftatemenr, which | believe is juf, 
that in the reign of Edward the 1Vrh, 
the electors of the kingdom amaunted to 
upwards of a million ; they were after- . 
wards- diminished ; and, at the prefent 
period, notwithftanding the great in- 
creafe of population, it is underftood that 
they do not exeeed two hundred and 
fifty thoufand. 
The unhappy difputes that long fub- 
fifted in this country fabjeéted the Jand- 
ed property to frequent changes, and, as 
the crown became poffeffed of it, igno- 
rant and prejudiced perfons might, from 
the transferring of it at that period, in- 
fer that the future poffcffors of it were 
in a ftare of vaffalage and dependant on 
the crown; what other probable reafon 
can be aligned for the jnfinuations. re: 
ferred to, 1 am at a lofs to conje€ture. 
It appears that, at an early period, 
nearly as remote as the records of parlia- 
ment exift, that the commons declared 
that they “dare not to agree to any new 
devifed tax or fubfidy without conference 
with their counties about it, though they 
tender the king’s eftate, and are ready to 
aid him; «3 Edw. III.”’ That‘ they 
durft grant no tax, confidering the fub- 
jects’ difcontents and evil wili; 5 Rich. 
Ij.’ That * the knight’s fees in com- 
ing to parliament be levied of the whole 
county, except the cities and towns ; 
st Edw. 111.” And that “ all perfons 
whatfoever, having lay fee, contribute to 
the charges of the knights; 41 Rich- 
ard I] *.”’ From this extract it fhould 
feem, that the knights of the fhire, at 
a very early period, confidered them- 
felves as the reprefentatives of the peo- 
~ ple of their refpeétive counties, and were 
aid by them for their fervices in par- 
oes and not as the vaifals of the 
crown. 
To fuggeft, that becaufe, at an early 
period after the conquefi, a part of the 
reprefentation was more immediately un- 
der the influence of the crown; and 
this probably owning to the conquetft it- 
felf, and to the change of property arif- 
ing from the influence of the governing 
powers over a conquered country, and to 
the ftruggles that were made to reftore 
liberty and property, is a mode of rea- 
foning that will have, I truft, but little 
weight in diminifhing the nature and 
importance of the reprefentation of the 
commons, or to prevent the reftoration of 
rie 

* See Cotton’s Parliamentary Records. 
# 
Dr. Hey vindicated. 
ml 
this efential part of the conftitution by 
a temporary reform. 
If ic can be proved that reprefenta- 
tion is not a vital principle in the Eng-~ 
lith conftitution, then the abufes which 
have crept into it afford no juft ground 
of alarm: or complaint, and will etfeétu- 
ally preclude the neceflity of a re~arm. 
To infinuate that the houfe of com- 
mons was not intended to reprefent the 
people in parliament, and of courfe to 
carry into effeét their will, is reducing 
it.to an engine in the hands of the exe-’ 
cutive authority, to carry into effect its 
will, and to regifter its ediéts. Surelv 
every Englifhman, who is a friend to the 
conftitution, muft fhudder at fuch an 
idea. fie las 
Pyavince of Wiccia. H. 

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, 
SIR, i 
N your Magazine for laft month, the 
name of Dr. Hey is, I perceive, ufed 
twice, and, in a manner which may 
lead-incautious perfons to form very un- 
juft fufpicions of a truly orthodox mem- 
ber of the church of England. On the 
one hand, the Enquirer quotes a paffage 
from his leétures, which feems. to im- 
pugn moft vioren:ly the doétrine and dif. 
cipline of the chureh. On the other 
hand, Pb:lo-Cofa throws out an in- 
uendo againft his leétures, as if replete 
with myftery. If the lateer infinudtion 
were true, the univerfity of Cambridge 
is no longer liable to any inconvenience 
from this quarter, for Dr. Hey has 
ceafed for fome time to give leétures upon 
the. Thirty-nine Articles; and as the 
public is in poffeffion of the fubttauce of 
them, they may eafily decide, whether 
there was any- ground for fufpe€ting the 
doétor to be guilty of too much, or too 
little, faith. A curious circumftance at- 
tended the publication of thefe leétures, 
which requires clearing up. They were 
publifhed under the aufpices of the fyn- 
dics of the prefs, or printing committee, 
at Cambridge. During the progrefs of 
the work, fome of the fyndics {melt, or 
thought they fmelt, a rat, in fome pages. 
‘The publication was in confequence de- 
layed; and at this moment, there are 
perfons, who think the church in dan- 
ger from that.very work, which was in 
tended to be its chief buttrefs and orna- 
ment. The doétor ftood to his ftuff : 
he would not cancel the offending pages. 
They remain in the body of the work ; 
and it cannot be doubted, that he is will- 
ing to defend them. It would nor be 
right 






