be inflituted for the common benefit, protection, and fecurity of the people; and that the doctrine of non-refiftance against arbitrary power and oppreffion is abfurd, flavish, and destructive to the good and happinefs of mankind. 4th, That no man or set of men are entitled to exclufive or separate public emoluments or privileges from the community, but in confideration of public fervice; which not being defcendible, neither ought the offices of magiftrare, legiflator, or judge, or any other public office, to be hereditary. fent of the reprefentatives of the people in the legislature, is injurious to their rights, and ought not to be exercifed. 8th, That in all capital and criminal profecutions, a man hath a right to demand the cause and nature of his accufation, to be confronted with his accufers and witneffes, to call for evidence, and be allowed counsel in his favour, and to a fair and fpeedy trial by an impartial jury of his vicinage, without whofe unanimous confent he cannot be found guilty (except in the government of the land and naval forces), nor can he be compelled give evidence against himself. 9th, That no fr eman ought to be taken, imprifoned, or diffeized of his freehold, liberties, privileges, or franchifes, or outlawed or exiled, or in any manner destroyed or de. prived of his life, libe ty, or pro perty, but by the law of the land. 5th, That the legislative, executve, and judiciary powers of go-to vernment fhould be separate and diftinct; and that the members of the two first may be reftrained from oppreffion, by feeling and participating the public burthens, they hould at fixed periods be reduced to a private station, return into the mafs of the people, and the vacancies be fupplied by certain and regular elections, in which all or any part of the former members to be eligible or ineligible, as the rules of the conftitution of government, and the laws, fhall direct. 6th, That elections of reprefentaives in the legiflature ought to be free and frequent, and all men, having fufficient evidence of per manent and common interest with and attachment to the community, ought to have the right of fuffrage; and no aid, charge, tax, or fee, can be fet, rated, or levied upon the people without their own confent, or that of their reprefentatives, fo elected, nor can they be bound by any law to which they have not in like nanner affented for the public good. 7th, That all power of fufpending laws, or the execution of laws, by any authority, without the con 10th, That every freeman reftrained of his liberty is entitied to a remedy, to enquire into the lawfulnefs thereof, and to remove the fame, if unlawful; and that fuch remedy ought not to be denied or delayed. 11th, That in controverfies refpecting property, and in fuits between man and man, the ancient trial by jury is one of the greatest fecurities to the rights of the people, and ought to remain facred and inviolable. 12th, That every freeman ought to find a certain remedy by recourfe to the laws for all injuries and wrongs he may receive in perfon, property, or character. He ought to obtain right and juffice freely without fale,. completely and without denial, promptly and without delay, and that all establishments or regulations contravening these are oppreffive and unjuß. (G 3) 13th, Tha 13th, That exceffive bail ought not to be required, nor exceffive fines impofed, nor cruel and unufual punishments inflicted. 14th, That every freeman has a right to be fecure from all unreafonable fearches and feizures of his perfon, his papers, and property; all warrants, therefore, to fearch fufpected places, or feize any freeinan, his papers, or property, without information upon oath (or afhirmation of a perfon religiously fcrupulous of taking an oath), of legal and fufficient caufe, are grievous and oppreffive; and all general warrants to fearch fufpected places, or to apprehend any fufpected perfou, without fpecially naming or defcribing the place or perfon, are dangerous, and ought not to be granted. 15th, That the people have a right peaceably to affemble together to confult for the common good, or to inftruct their reprefentatives; and that every freeman has a right to petition or apply to the legislature for redrefs of grievances. 16th, That the people have a right to freedom of fpeech, and of writing and publishing their fentiments; that the freedom of the prefs is one of the greatest bulwarks of liberty, and ought not to be violated. 17th, That the people have a right to keep and bear arms; that a well-regulated militia, compofed of the body of the people, trained 10 arms, is the proper, natural, and fafe defence of the free flate. That ftanding armies in time of peace are dangerous to liberty, and therefore ought to be avoided, as far as the circumftances and protection of the community will admit; and that in all cafes the military fhould be under ftri& fubordination to, and governed by the civil power. 18th, That no foldier in time of peace ought to be quartered in any houfe without the confent of the owner, and in time of war in fuch manner only as the laws direct. 19th, That any perion rel giously fcrupulous of bearing aims ought to be exempted upon payment of an equivalent to employ another to bear arms in his ftead, 20th, That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reafon and conviction, not by force or violence, and therefore all men have an equal, natural, and unalienable right to the free exercife of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that no particular religious sect or fociety ought to be favoured or established by law in preference to others. The Humble Address of the Agents for the American Loyalifts, prefented to the King, July 2, 1788, by Sir William Pepperell, Bart, and the other Agents. Moft Gracious Sovereign, YOUR majefty's ever dutiful and loyal fubjects, the agents for the American Loyalifts, who have heretofore been the fuppliants of your majesty on behalf of their diftreffed conflituents, now humbly beg leave to approach your throne, to pour forth the ardent effufions of their grateful hearts for your most gracious and effectual recommenda tion of their claims to the juft and generous confideration of parliament. To have devoted their fortunes, and hazarded their lives in defence of the just rights of the crown, and the fundamental principles of the British conftitution, were no more thaa than their duty demanded of them, in common with your majesty's other subjects; but it was their peculiar fortune to be called to the trial; and it is their boast and their glory to have been tound equal to the task. They have the diffinguifhed happiness of feeing their fidelity approved by their fovereign, and recompenfed by parliament; their fellow-fubjects chearfully contributing to compenfate them for the forfeitures their attachment to Great Britain incited them to incur; thereby adding dignity to their own exalted character among the nations of the world, and holding out to mankind the glorious principles of juftice, equity, and benevolence, as the firmeft bafis of empire. We fhould be wanting in juftice and gratitude, if we did not, upon this occafion, acknowledge the wifdom and liberality of the provisions propofed by your majefty's fervants, conformable to your majefty's gracious intentions, for the relief and accommodation of the feveral claffes of fufferers to whofe cafes they apply; and we are convinced it will give comfort to your royal breast to be affured they have be n received with the most general fatisfaction. Profeffions of the unalterable attachment of the Loyalists to your majesty's perfon and government we conceive to be unneceflary; they have preferved it under perfecu tion, and gratitude cannot render it lefs permanent, They do not prefume to arrogate to themselves more fervent loyalty than their fellow-fubjects poffefs; but, diftinguished as they have been by their fufferings, they deem themselves entitled to the foremost rank among the most zealous fupporters of the conftitution. And while they ceafe not to offer up their most earnest prayers to the Divine Being to preferve your majesty, and your illuftrious family, in the peaceful enjoyment of your just rights, and in the exercife of your royal virtues in promoting the happine is of your people, they humbly be feech your majefty to continue to believe them, at all times, and upon all occafions, equally ready, as they have been, 10 de ore their lives and properties to your majesty's fervice, and the prefervation of the British conftitution. The Petition of the University of To the Honourable the Com mons of Great Britain in Parliament afiembled, WE, the chancellor, masters, and fcholars of the university of Cambridge, understanding that an application will foon be made to parlia ment for the fuppreflion of the flavetrade, defire to exprefs our hearty approbation of fo benevolent a de-、 fign. And we truft, that in reprobating with juft indignation a traffick carried on in violation of every principle of humanity, as well as of the precepts of the Chritian Religion, we act in perfect, confiftency with our duty as members of an establishment dedicated to the fupport of learning and religion. We hope that the legislature will take this fubject into its most ferious confideration, and adopt fuch meafures as to its wisdom fhall appear most effectual, før abolishing a commerce fupported only by violence and rapine, and by encouraging treachery, by exciting war, as well as by forcing into fla very multitudes of the inhabitants, defolating a most extenfive and fertile country. Commercial intereft can never juftify a crime, nor atone for the guilt incurred by an action, which reafon and revelation (G 4) forbid. 1 forbid. But we are far from apprehending that the abolition of this traffick will be attended with confequences detrimental to the state, inafmuch as a firm belief in the providence of a benevolent Creator affures us, that no fyftem fonded on the oppreffion of one part of mankind can be beneficial to another. As our excellent conftitution carefully provides for the happinefs, by fecuring the freedom of the meanest fubject, we are perfuaded, that the legislature will ceafe to fupport a traffick replete with mifery and oppreffion, and that it will readily extend its protection to the Africans, the most injured and defencelets of our fellowcreatures. Thus fhall this continued outrage against humanity be no longer the difgrace of our national character, and the reproach of our Christian profesion.—Thus shall peace be restored to that afflicted and defolate country, and a friendly commercial intercourfe enable us to introduce into it the comforts of focial life, and the advantages of true religion. Given under our common feal, &c. The Petition of the People called Quakers, against the Slave Irade, To the Commons of Great Britain, in Parliament af fembled, Refpe fu ly fheweth, THAT our religious fociety, fenfible of the obligation univerfally incumbent on mankind, to do juftiy, and to love mercy, have been long painfully affected by the confideration of the African flave-trade, a commerce totally repugnant to the principles of justice, the common rights of men, and dictates of the Chriftian religion; and, in the con, duct whereof, the lives and happi: nefs of unoffending millions have been facrificed to avarice and cruelty. We have occafion, moreover, to lament, not only that British fubjects are engaged in this inhuman traffick, but that, by the encou ragement it has received from legal authority, the nation may be confidered as involved in the guilt. Your petitioners, therefore, impreffed by that fympathy, wherewith a knowledge of the fufferings we deplore, mut affect every iceling mind, and constrained by a fenie of duty, do entreat your attention to fo enormous an evil; and earnelly renew our application for an effectual fuppreffion of this unrighte ous traffick. That the God of the Spirits of all flesh may direct your deliberations on this important subject, and makę them concucive to the advance ment of that day of the univerfal righteoufnefs and peace, spoken of by the prophet, in which "every man fill it under his vine, and under his fig-tree, and none fhall make them atraid," is the fervent defire of your petitioners. Signed on behalf of our religi ous fociety, by the members of our meeting for fuffer ings, held in London the 4th day of the 2 month 1788, The Committee appointed to infpect and confider the returns made by the Minitters and Churchwardens, relative to charitable Donations, for the benefit of poor perfons, in pur. fuance of an act pafied in the 26th year of his prefent M-jefty's reign; and to report, from time to time, their oblervations thereon to the House, and how far the directions of the faid act have, or have not, been complied with; inform the Houfe: THAT it appears by a former report made under the said act, the 23d day of May 1787, purfuant to an order of this houfe, that out of near 13,000 parishes and townships in England and Wales (from which returns of charitable donations had been required there were only 14 parishes that had made no fuch re turns. That the committee who made that report, after arranging the returns which had been to made under the heads of the feveral counties and parifhes to which they belonged, directed an abftract to be made thereo, with the utmost care and expedition; but finding, upon infpection of the faid abstract, that a great number of the faid parifhes and town hips had made defective returns; fome, by not naming the perions who gave the charities; others, by not naming the truflees; others by not deferibing whether the donations were in land or money; and others, by not deferibing the produce of the money, lands, or rent charges, fo given; the committee directed their chairman to write circular letters to the minifters and churchwardens of all the parishes and townships wherein fuch omiflions appeared, requiring them to fend more perfect returns, That there were about 4,065 of thofe circular lettres fent into different parts of the kingdom. That antwers have been fince received from about 3376 of them, many of which have given the explanation required; and many others have itated that they could give no further information. That your committee, in order to lay before the house all the information which they have fo procur, ed, have caufed the matter contained in tho e fupplementary returns to be inserted in the faid abstract, with red ink, that the house may distinguish what was acquired under the original returns, and what fince, in confequence of the faid letters; and that the houfe may be enabled to form an idea of the magnitude of this fubject, your committee have caufed the produce of the said charities, in land and money refpectively, as far as the fame can be collected from the faid returns, to be calt up in each county, the particulars whereof are hereunto annexed by way of appendix, by which the annual amount of the produce of the money amounts to 48,2131. 1cs. 5d. and the annual produce of the lands amounts to 210,4671. 8s. 10d. making together. the annual fum of 258,7101. 195. 3d.: and, from a variety of circumftances and intimations which have occurred, and been given to your commitee, in the purfait of thofe enquiries, they have great reason to believe very confiderable further fums will appear to have been given for the like charitable purpofes, whenever proper means can be found for inveftigating and completing thofe difcoveries, by extending the enquiries to corporations, companes, and focieties of men, as well as to feoffees, trustees, and other perfons. And |