"Whereas many of the British provinces, colonies, and plantations in North-America, after having made, from time to time, varicus attempts to throw off, or fubvert the legislative authority and jurif diction of Great Britain, have at length proceeded to the greatest and most daring outrages for accomplishing the fame, by entering into illegal combinations and traiterous confpiracies, and even by breaking out into open and undisguised rebellion: and whereas the inhabitants in general of the faid provinces, colonies, and plantations fhew not the leaft figns of forrow and contrition for their palt offences, nor any defire to implore the clemency of the parent-state, which hath in all instances cherished, fupported, and protected them at an im menfe expence both of blood, and treasure; but on the contrary. continue to encrease their hoftile preparations for oppofing, by vio lence and force of arms, the execution of the laws made by the fu preme legiflature of parliament for the due governance, and confti. tutional dependence of fuch fubordinate ftates and provinces. day of "Be it therefore enacted by the king's most excellent majefty, by and with the advice and confent of the lords fpiritual and temporal, and of the commons of Great Britain in parliament assembled; that every fuch province, colony, and plantation which either now is, or at the next enfuing fhall be found to be in arms and rebellion against the laws and authority of the fupreme legiftature of Great Britain, fhall, from and after the time above mentioned, be totally cut off, fevered, and feparated from the British Empire; and that all its inhabitants fhall be declared, and are hereby declared to have loft and forfeited all privileges and advan tages, benefits and protection both by fea and land belonging to, or fuppofed to belong to the fubjects of Great Britain; and that they fhall be deemed, taken, and reputed, in all courts of law, and in all refpects whatever, to be as much aliens and foreigners, and fubjec to the fame incapacities, as if they had been aliens born. "Provided nevertheless, and to the intent, that as far as the nature of the cafe will admit, the innocent may not be involved in the punishment intended only for the guilty; be it enacted by the authority aforefaid, that it fhall and may be lawful for his majefty, and for his heirs and fucceffors, at any time, to grant a pardon to a whole ftate, province, or colony, now in rebellion, under the great feal of the realm; or to one or more inhabitant or inhabitants thereof under the feal manual, and to restore fuch colony, or fuch perfon or perfons to their former rights and privileges, as British fubjects, when it fhall appear to his majefty in council, that fuch a province, or colony, or fuch a petitioner or petitioners is, are, or shall be deferving of his royal clemency and favour. "Suppofe, I fay, fuch a manifefto, or one to this effect, and 'couched under the form of an act of parliament, to be proclaimed to the world concerning the rebellion now exifting in America: and then I afk, what poffible difficulty could attend the execution of it? Or who would even attempt to prevent it? The only people or nation, who would wish to obftruct the execution of fuch a law, are the Americans themselves; for they have no manner of objection gainst participating in all kinds of benefits to be derived from an union with us; though they raife fuch terrible outcries against sharing in any of our burthens: and yet their efforts and oppofition would all be in vain; because, tho' you should ever allow, that they are able to maintain their independence in America, that circumftance would not render them the conquerors of Great Britain, much less of the rest of the world; who must of course remain independent of them." So far at least as the different schemes are practicable, our author concludes his own to be preferable to Mr. Burke's. He proceeds in like manner, to prove it in other refpects alfo equally preferable. The im After fettling the point with Mr. Burke, our author proceeds to obviate the difficulties attending a total feparation with the American colonies in refpect to trade. It is begging the question, he fays, to take for granted that, if America were feparated from Great Britain, all commercial intercourfe would ceafe between them. This is the very point they ought to prove; but prove it they never can, till they fhall have first demonftrated, that the Americans will no longer adhere to their own intereft when they shall be difunited from us. menfity of the colony trade, he fays, has been puffed off beyond the truth; giving a state of our exports and imports to the colonies for nine fucceffive years, compared with thofe to Holland and Germany during the fame period. On this fubject he makes several judicious remarks, not unworthy of his profeffed commercial knowledge. To thefe is added a whimsical muster of the force of the too general con tending parties, into which he fuppofes the people are at prefent divided, and with which we shall at prefent take leave of this celebrated political divine. A general Muster of the Forces both for and againft the present Govern ment. PARTIES for overturning the prefent Conftitution, and for fetting up fomething in its Stead, for which we have not yet a Name. ft. The idle and diffolute among the common people are tor throwing the prefent fyftem into anarchy and confufion. They have ardently wifhed thefe many years, for fome kind of levelling fcheme whereby they might enrich themselves at the coft of their mafters, and rob and plunder with impunity. If Mr. Wilkes, or any other modern patriot can lead them into this path of glory, they will joyfully follow fuch a leader, and become his devoted fellow labourers, in the fame good work; but if not, they will forfake him with as little ceremony as they have PARTIES for preferving the present Conflitution, and for keeping every thing in a quiet and peaceable condition. "Ift. The greateft part of the nobility and gentry of the kingdom; that is, almoft all thofe who have the greatest property at stake, and have the most to lofe. "2dly. A vast majority of the richest merchants, and principal traders and manufacturers throughout the kingdom, are the warm friends of government: the exceptions on this head are few, and very inconfiderable. "3dly. The clergy of the eftablifhed church are zealously attached to the prefent happy conftitution, wishing to preferve, and to promote peace on earth, and good have done fome others, and look out for a new leader. 2dly. That fpecies among the Whigs which is properly republican, is violently for a change of government, fuitable to fuch principles; and these men are now become of fome confequence, not fo much on the fcore of their numbers, as on account of their enthufiaftic zeal, and of their breaking through every tye of honour, honefty, and confcience, for accomplishing fuch defigns. Moreover, as they put on every disguise; as they forge, lye, falfify; as they ufe the word liberty merely as a blind to conceal the batteries they are erecting against it; and as they pretend to fupport and uphold the conftitution, at the very inftant they are planning a fcheine to deftroy it; their defigns are fo much the more dangerous by appearing to fightunder the fame banner with ourfelves; and the wounds they give are the more difficult of cure, because they ftab and affaffinate under the mask of friendship, and therefore take their aim the better, and strike the deeper. In the former plots and confpiracies of the Jacobites, their aim and intent were to dethrone the reigning family, and to replace another: the prefent views of the republicans, which they are inceffantly purfu ing by various means, and almoft contradictory measures, are, to have no throne at all. Hence, by a comparison of the two crimes, the reader must judge, which is the greateft, and the moft repugnant to the English conftitution. "3dly. The advocates for making North-America independent of the British parliament muft, if confiftent with themselves, be for turning the British constitution into fomething very different from what is at prefent, or ever was; for good-will among men and in refpect to the diffenting clergy, the most eminent and refpectable (tho' it is to be feared, not the most numerous) act in the fame laudable manner, and endeavour to make their people truly fenfible of the many bleflings they enjoy under the reign of his prefent majefty. "4thly. The proprietors and flock-holders in the public funds will undoubtedly range on the fide of government; because they can get nothing, but must neceffarily lofe by the convulfions of the state, and by the overthrow of that conflitution, the prefervation of which is their greatest fecurity. "5thly, The whole body of the learned profeffion in the law, men who have acquired their knowledge of the conftitution from authors of a caft very different from bawling, difappointed patriots, or hungry pamphleteers ;--these men, I fay, in general agree, that each member of the House of Commons, tho' elected by one particular county, city, or borough, doth not reprefent that particular county, city, or borough, in any exclufive fenfe; for he reprefents the whole commons of the realm, one part, and one individual as well as another. A member chofen by the county of Middlefex is not chofen for Middlesex exclufively, but for all the subjects of the British empire; each of whom hath as conftitutional right to his services, and may be as much affected by his particular conduct, and therefore has as much right to infira him, as any freeholder in the county of Middlesex: and he, on his part, is bound by his office to omit the smaller intereft of the county of Middlesex, or of the Middlefex electors, when standing in competition with the greater interests of his fellow-fubjects in America, for the very plea these men ufe in regard to North-America is, that reprefentation and legiflation (a very small part of which is the power of raising taxes) muft always go together; therefore as nineteen parts in twenty of the people of England, and upwards of ninety-nine parts in an hundred of the people of Scotland, are not qualified to be voters, nor ever were, be their property ever fo great, that is (according to this new-fashioned doctrine) are not reprefented in parliament; it muft inevitably follow, that a vaft majority of the inhabitants of GreatBritain, as well as British America, have a right to renounce their allegiance to the prefent government as foon as they pleafe, and to fet up for independence. For in fact, according to the dangerous principles now openly avowed, all this multitude of nonelectors owe no fubjection to that legiflature, and to thofe powers, in the choice or continuance of which they were not confulted. They ought not to be compelled to obey any laws, which were made without their confent, or privity; and more especially where they have no reprefentation, they ought not to be fubject to any taxation. -So that being thus happily fet free from all coercion of government, all restraints of law, and burden of taxes; and having learnt at laft to infert thofe inherent and unalienable rights, which have been fo long ufurped, they are now restored to a ftate of the most perfect freedom, and may either chufe another form of government, according to their own fancy; or elfe live, as they can, without any government at all. A bleffed fpecimen this of patriotic liberty! a moft comprehenfible bill of rights! fure of overturning, if carried America, or other places:-fo that in fhort, tho' fome few only, perhaps not a fortieth part, of the inhabitants of the whole island, have legal votes for reprefentatives, all in general, both within the island, and without it, are virtually reprefented. That this is fact and law, that this ever was the conftitution of the British empire, from the earliest times down to the prefent day, is fuch, an apparent truth, that it cannot be denied. Therefore in this fenfe it is true, and in no other, that every member of the common wealth is fuppofed to give his previous confent to the making of thofe laws, which he is afterwards bound to obey, and to the impofing of thofe taxes which he is obliged to pay. Indeed upon this footing (viz. of virtual reprefentation in fome cafes, and of actual, election in others) a free and well-poifed government can ftand, and be fupported; but it can be fupported on no other: nay, the government of the Maffachufet'sBay itfelf, whenever this colony fhall become independent of the mother-country, must then, as well as now, be fupported on this very principle; that is to fay, on the very principle against which they fo loudly clamour. And befides all this, the very fame reafons, which induce the non-reprefented fubjects in England to fubmit quietly and peaceably to the payment of thofe taxes, to which they have not given their confent by actual reprefentation, ought to induce the Americans to acquiefce alfo; because, if the American trade is fo valuable, as reported, a British Parliament cannot injure this trade by any mode of taxation, without injuring the merchants, the manufacturers, and the traders 66 4thly. The honourable fociety of the Outs will go as great lengths to throw things into confufion as any fet of men whatever; For as thefe perfons have no other end in view than to get into power, and to fhare the emoluments of the ftate among themfelves and their dependents, they will stick at no measure, however unjuft and unconftitutional, to compafs this end: nay, they will unfay the things which they themfelves had faid in administration; they will blame thofe very measures which they themselves had planned and recommended; and, in fhort, they will do any thing, and every thing, to raife the evil fpirit of difcord and diffention, to bring themselves in. "Laftly, The inconftant and difappointed, thofe who love to fish in troubled waters, and thofe who, having spent their fortunes, have nothing to lofe, but may have a chance to fhare in the property of other men by a general fcramble; alfo the defperate and daring of every denomination; all thefe with for fome fpeedy change in the constitution." traders in general of GreatBritain; and thereby finking the profits of their own estates, and the rents of their own lands and houfes. "6thly. The whole legislative power of the kingdom will cer tainly fupport their own autho rity, and not commit felo de fe to please their enemies. They will not, they never can admit the parliaments of North-America to he independent of them, or coordinate with themfelves in the fame ftate or empire. e 7thly. The whole executive power of the kingdom is at prefent in the hands of his Majefty, and of thofe who act in his name, and by his authority. There the conftitution has placed it, and in no other hands; nor is there the leaft probability that mobbing, huzzaing, furious fpeeches, and inflammatory libels, without arms, artillery, or ammunition, and without a treafury, will be able to wreft the executive power out of the hands of thofe who conftitutionally enjoy it. "And now upon this General Review and Mufter of the Forces on the Malcontent, as well as the Government Side, let every one confider well within himself, what he ought to do at the prefent crifis, as a conftitutional patriot, an honeft Englishman, a loyal fubject, and a prudent man." ART. XV. A Propofition for the prefent Peace and future Government of the British Colonies in North America. 8vo. 1s. Davies. In the multitude of counsellors, it is faid, there is fafety. If this faying be univerfally true and applicable, defperate as affairs feem to be between Britain and America, we are yet all fafe enough; for of counsellors, fuch as they are, we have certainly more than fufficient. As the advice of the prefent, however, is modeftly offered and appears to be honest and well intended, we shall fubmit the heads of his plan to our readers: fome of whom may perhaps be capable of improving on his hints, and, if expedient, in a fituation to recommend its adoption. "Propofitions |