Memoir of the late Dr. Fofeph Towers. 
@viry enlightened and upright fenator.’ 
The ‘Monthly Reviewers, with whom our 
author was wholly unconnected, gave fo 
favourable, and at the fame baie fo juft, 
an account, not only of this work, but al- 
fo of the author’s talents and principles, 
that we have given an extract im the note 
below*. 
In the year 1792, was formed, ‘* The 
Society of the Friends of the People, affo- 
ciated for the Purpofe of obtaining a Par- 
Namentary Reform.” Do&or Towers 
readily joined in the eftablifhment of this 
inftitution ; and the advertifement, notify- 
ing its exiftence, gave a lift of the firft 
hundred affociators, among which there 
were no Jefs than forty Members of Par- 
liament. This fociety foon after publith- 
¢d an Account of the State of the Reprefen- 
tation of England and Wales, the fub- 
Stance of which was afterwards formed 
into a petition, and prefented to the Houfe 
of Commons, by Mr. Grey, on the 6th of 
May, 17933 the facts, contained in this 
fatement were accurately afcertained, and 
were beyond controverfy ftriétly true; atthe 
fame time, they were fo glaring and point- 
ed, that no little management “and addrefs 
were neceffary, to fotten the impreffion 
they apparently made, both in and out of 
the Houfe, as well as to avoid entering in- 
to the merits of the petitfon, and the ar- 
guments deducible from the allegations it 
contained. This was, however, the cafe, 
and one fide of the Houfe confidered it as 
a triumph of no, incenfiderable confe- 
quence; for *¢ facts are ftubborn things,” 
and the bufinefs had an unpleafant afpe&, 
when the confequences refulting from them 
were urged with fuch manly force, as ta 
ftaccer the meft determined and infenfible. 
This laudable attempt, however, entirely 
failed, and the reprefentatives of the peo- 
ple are ftill appoimted and chofen by the 
perfons, and under the fame influence and 
* ¢¢ The merits of Dr. Towers, as a judici- 
ous and candid peliti¢al writer, are already 
well known to the public. His prefent per- 
formance difcovers the fame ardent and en- 
lightened zeal for liberty, undebafed by any 
narrow party-views or attachments; the fame 
Viberal defire of extending to others of every 
defcription, that freedom of thought, fpeech, 
and aétion, which he claims fer sioatelt; the 
fame enlarged and truly patriotic love of his 
sountry, unaccompanied with any mean wiih 
to deprefs or injure the country of his neigh- 
bours ; the fame manly opennefs of fentiment, 
anmixed with any ride perfonalities or offen- 
five cenfures; and the fame perfpicuity of 
ftyle, which have diftingvithed his former 
publications.” ‘i. 
or 
direction, as were pointed out by the fos 
ciety. 
In 1793, befides his fthare in the’ Bio 
graphia, the Doétor brought out a pamph- 
let ‘entitled « A Dialogue between ar 
Affociator, and a well-informed Enaglifx- 
man, om the Grounds of the late Aflocia~ 
tions, and the Commencement of a War 
with France ;”’ foon after which, he alfa 
publithed another pamphlet cailed * Re= 
marks on the Conduct, Principles, and 
Publications, of the Affeciation at the 
Crownand Anchor, in the Strand, for pre- 
ferving Liberty and Property againft Re- 
publicans and Levellers.”” Thefe pam- 
phlets, which were publifhed anony moufly, 
contain fome f{triking: and popular argu- 
ments againft the Affociations, then recent~ 
ly formed, with obfervations on the motives 
which inight lead fome perfons to fupport 
them, and encourage their increafe. Our 
Author contends againft the necefiity and 
propriety of them: and particularly in the 
Jaft pamphlet, he animadverts, with great 
force and {pirit, again the proceedings 
and fentiments of the Crown and Anchor 
Affociation. Much of the polities of the 
time, and the fpirit and views of the two 
parties, into which the people were at this 
time divided, may be feen in thefe pamph~ 
lets. The tesla (actions alluded to, being 
generally known, it is not at afi neceflary 
on this occafion, to enter further into the 
fubje&t ; the fame reafon maybeaflioned for 
only fhortly noticing two other {mall and 
anonymous publications of our Author 5 
one of which came out in the year 1796, 
and the other (being his last production} 
in the year following. The former of thefe 
is entitled, ‘An Addrefs to the Elec~ 
tors of Great Britain,’ and the latter, 
“Thoughts on National-Infanity.” The 
advice given te the electors could not be 
ebjecied to by men of any party; in all 
.relpeéts, it was proper and falutary ; well 
fuited to infoire them with jut fentiments, 
and lead them to act as became freemen 
and independent members of a ftate, enjoys © 
ing peculiar privileges for which their an- 
ceftors had long ftruggled and fought. 
Our Author's principal, aim in his lat 
pamphlet was, to impreis on the minds of 
the people, the ruinous confequences of 
the late war; the folly of attempting by 
force to re-eftablifh monarchy in France; 
and the impolic y, as weil as injuftice, of 
this country’s interfering with the inter- 
nal government of a neighbouring nation. 
In £795, Dr. Towers colleéted, and 
publithed by fubfcription, thirteen of his 
principal Traéts, and Pamphlets, in 3 vols, 
Sve. the contents oftach vol, in the order 
they 
