admiffion in the journals of parliament, to give them as ftrong an affurance as the nature of the thing would allow, that we mean for ever to adhere to the fyftem originally established. The idea of governing by force he reprobated as grofs in its conception, uncertain in its effect, and ruinous even in its fuccefs. In conformity to these principles, parliament must revert to the antient conftitutional policy of these kingdoms, which eftablished taxation in America by grant, and not by impofition; which recognized the legal competency of the colony affemblies, for the fupport of the civil government in time of peace, and for public aids in time of war. In the course of his speech Mr. Burke mentioned the aftonifhing fact, that the exports from Great Britain to North America had increafed from the beginning of the prefent century, when they amounted to five hundred and feventy thousand pounds, to upwards of fix millions annually." The purport of the refolutions, which were thirteen in number, went to recognize the legal competency of the colony affemblies for all the various purposes of taxation; to acknowledge that this legal competency has had a juft and beneficial exercife; that experience has fhewn the benefits of their grants, and the futility of parliamentary taxation as a method of fupply. Others of the propofitions related to the fettlement of an independent judicature, the regulation of the courts of admiralty, and the repeal of the late coercive acts of parliament. The previous question being moved on the first propofition, it was carried in favor of the minif try by 270 voices to 78; and the remaining ones were with the fame facility evaded, or negatived without a division*. Another attempt was in a few days made by Mr. Hartley,

a very

*Thefe propofitions of Mr. Burke may be confidered as comprifing the mature and deliberate plan of the Rockingham party, for the restoration of the public tranquility, to which purpofe they were moft wifely and happily adapted. The fpeech by which they were enforced is by far the moft valuable of Mr. Burke's productions; it can never be too much ftudied or admired. Of the fpeaker it can only be faid, O fi fic omnia dix

a very refpectable member of oppofition, to effect an accommodation of this fatal quarrel, by moving "that letters of requifition fhould be iffued, agreeably to antient precedent, under authority of the crown, with a view to procure a permanent and voluntary contribution from the feveral colonies towards the general expences of the em pire" but this was negatived without a divifion.

At this period the city of London once more ventured to breathe her fruitless requests in the ear of majesty, by an addrefs, remonftrance, and petition, which was diftinguished by the remarkable circumstance of its being prefented to the king by Mr. Wilkes, in his official capacity, of lord mayor, to which civic dignity he had been elected at the close of the preceding year. In this remonstrance the citizens of London declared " their abhorrence of the measures which had been pursued, and were then pursuing, to the oppreffion of their fellow-fubjects in the colonies. Not deceived by the fpecious artifice of calling defpotifi dignity, they said, they plainly perceived that the real purpose was to establish arbitrary power over all America. These measures, they affirmed, were carried into execu tion by his majefty's minifters, by the fame fatal corruption which had enabled them to wound the peace and violate the constitution of this country. Your petitioners therefore, they fay, do moft earnestly entreat your majesty to dismiss immediately and for ever from your councils those ministers and advisers, as the first step towards a redress of thofe grievances which alarm and afflict your whole people."-The following anfwer was, in a tone of marked and unusual emotion, delivered from the throne: "It is with the utmost astonishment that I find any of my fubjects capable of encouraging the rebellious difpofition which unhappily exifts in fome of my colonies in North America. Having entire confidence in my parliament, the great council of the nation, I will steadily pur. fue those measures which they have recommended for the

fupport

fupport of the constitutional rights of Great Britain, and the protection of the commercial interefts of my kingdoms."

Towards the clofe of the feffion the house refolved itself into a committee, at the motion of the minister, to confider the encouragement proper to be given to the fisheries of Great Britain and Ireland. Bounties were granted to the fhips from either kingdom employed in the Newfoundland or Greenland fisheries; Ireland was allowed to export tools and implements for the purposes of the fisheries; and by two refolutions not connected with the original motion, and intended as an additional douceur, it was rendered lawful, 1. to export from Ireland clothing for fuch regiments on the Irish establishment as were employed abroad; and by the 2d, five fhillings per barrel bounty was allowed on the importation of flax-feed into that kingdom. But thefe trivial conceffions rather excited the contempt than the gratitude of that long oppreffed and long suffering nation.

On the 15th of May Mr. Burke presented to the house a paper ftyled, a reprefentation and remonftrance from the general affembly of New York. This province, accounted less difaffected than any other, and which in conjunction with North Carolina had hitherto refufed an unreferved acquiefcence in the refolutions of the congrefs, had not been included in the late reftraining acts. But, at the fuggeftion of the minifter, this remonftrance was rejected by the house, as containing claims inconfiftent with the unlimited authority of Great Britain:-a fortunate circumftance for America, as this refufal completed that union which it was the policy, though in this inftance counteracted by the pride, of the court to obftruct or diffolve. A memorial from the fame body was at the fame time presented to the house of peers, by the duke of Manchefter; but their lordships would not suffer it to be read, affirming that the title of the paper rendered it inadmif

fible; though it was obferved by the noble mover, that the lowest commiffioned officer in the fervice had an unqueftioned right to present a memorial to the king; fo that it was not eafy to conceive how the term in queftion could militate against their lordships' dignity. At length this extraordinary feffion was brought to a clofe, and the king was pleased to exprefs from the throne "the moft perfect fatisfaction in the conduct of his parliament, and his entire conviction that the moft SALUTARY EFFECTS must refult from fuch measures, formed and conducted on fuch principles." What these effects were, we must now turn our eyes to the continent of America in order to ascertain.

All EUROPE faw with amazement the spirit of rashness and folly which at this crifis reigned in the councils of Britain, and which prompted her to treat with such unparalleled harshness and difdain those colonies which, in better and happier times, fhe had cherifhed with fond affection; and of which fhe might truly and proudly boaft, that as no nation had ever formed colonial establishments on principles fo liberal, no colonies had ever, in fo fhort a period, attained to fuch profperity, or fo amply rewarded the paternal cares of the country from which they fprang. FREDERIC the third, king of Pruffia, that great monarch, who, combining in his own person the characters of the hero, the philofopher, and the ftatefman, may be confidered as not inferior to any fovereign who has ever fwayed the fceptre of any country, has left upon record, in terms very explicit and remarkable, his fentiments refpecting the conduct and policy of the English government in relation to America. "ENGLAND," fays he, "at this period, had involved herself in a war with the colonies, undertaken in the spirit of defpotifm, and conducted in that of folly. It was BUTE who ftill governed the king, and directed the councils of the kingdom. Like one of thofe malignant fpirits who are perpetually talked of, and never seen-he enveloped himself in profound darkness, whilft, by means

of

of his fecret inftruments and emiffaries, he moved the whole political machine at his pleasure. His fyftem was that of the antient TORIES, who maintain the unlimited power of the crown to be neceffary to the public welfare. Haughty and harsh in his deportment, little folicitous as to the felection of the means which he employed in the ac-. complishment of his purposes, his obftinacy could be exceeded only by his indifcretion; a civil lift of one million fcarcely fufficed to gratify the venality of parliament. The English nation, DEGRADED by its soVEREIGN, appeared to have no will feparate from that of the court. But, as if this was not enough, the minifter Bute engaged the king to attempt an arbitrary taxation of the American colonies, at once to augment his revenues, and to establish a preceIdent which might at a future time be imitated in Great Britain. The Americans, whom the court had not deigned to corrupt, opposed themselves openly to these imposts, fo contrary to their charters, their cuftoms, and to the liberties which they had enjoyed uninterrupted fince their first establishment. A wife government would have haftened to appease these growing troubles, but the court of London acted upon other principles. The rigor and violence of their proceedings completed the alienation of the Americans. A congress was convened at Philadelphia, in which it was determined to shake off the English yoke; and from this time we fee Great Britain engaged in a ruinous war with her own colonies. France, the perpetual rival of England, faw with pleasure thefe civil commotions, and fecretly encouraged the Americans to defend their rights against the defpotism which George III. was defirous to establish, by holding out to them a prospect of future fuccours*." During the courfe of the preceding win

ter

L'ANGLETERRE étoit engagée dans une guerre civile avec fes colonies, enterprife par efprit de defpotifme, conduite avec mal-adreffe. C'eft l'Ecoflois Bure qui gouverne le Roi et le Royaume: femblable à ces ef prits mal-faifans dont on parle toujours, et qu'on ne voit jamais-il s'enve

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