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objected to the motion, as it would fix a crime upon themfelves, to affure his Majefty that by an abuse of power, they had been the caufe of all the prevailing discontents, and would be joining in a prayer for their own diffolution. The majority upon this fide purfued another method of argument; they allowed the dif contents, but charged them and the petitions, to the gentlemen in the oppofition, through whofe influence the people were perfuaded to imagine the one, and fubfcribe the other.

And it was boldly affirmed, that the only caufe of both, was the hatred of their leaders to thofe in adminiftration. It was infifted that the majority of gentlemen of large fortunes, and the magiftrates throughout the nation, together with the clergy in feveral counties, had not joined in the petitions, and that a majority of counties had not petitioned at all: that the inferior clafs of freeholders were not capable of understanding what they fubfcribed; that the farmers and manufacturers throughout the nation could neither know nor take any intereft in the prefent difputes, provided they had not been stirred up by factious and feditious perfons, who were hunting after grievances, and continually fabricating petitions.-That by men of that character, meetings had been advertised, where the people were harangued with inflammatory fpeeches, andwritings published and scattered through the kingdom, in which government had been reproached and vilified, the parliament abufed, and the minds of the people inflamed. All this was done, it was alledged, to diftrefs government; but it was added, that although the majority of fuch freeholders had figned the petitions without any influence or folicitation, they were only to be confidered as the acts of a rabble, and of an ignorant multitude, incapable of

judging:

judging. This kind of ftile, as it was in its own nature opprobrious, fo it was alfo not true in fact, because those whom the court party called a rabble, be. haved with as much wisdom and difcretion, as even the best of the friends of the miniftry. It is a fort of lunacy which often prevails among selfish politicians, to imagine that the people in the lower walks of life are destitute of all penetration and difcernment; and that they are not qualified to judge concerning their own affairs. Nothing but mere ignorance of their characters, or a wilful intention to mifreprefent them, could difpofe men of fenfe and understanding to judge in fuch a manner. Among those whom vain and high minded courtiers denominate the rabble, and the fcum of the earth, are to be found as much common fenfe, and prudence, as among thofe of the highest ranks in the nation, if we take them in equal proportion. By taking a furvey of the hiftory of bankruptcies, failures, and delinquencies, it will appear that there is a good proportion of these to be found among thofe who are not accounted the fcum of the nation. The abufe which many in government at this time received from the people, proceeded from leffons they had learned from courtiers themselves, whofe abfurd and ridiculous ftile the vulgar turned againft them, and paid back with confiderable interest.

The charge which those in administration brought against the minority, or thofe in oppofition, namely, that they had been active in promoting the petitions, was openly acknowledged and defended by them. They faid they accounted themselves bound in duty to render an account of their conduct in parliament to their constituents, and alfo to give them their best advice, and opinion, when required, in any thing that related to their interefts, and to give them the most

early

early notice of all measures that tended to fubvert their rights, or were dangerous to the conftitution. The charges of meeting, writing, and speaking, which had been brought against them, were ridiculous, and it was asked by what other methods people could communicate their fentiments. It was also observed that it had been infinuated that our grievances were imaginary, because the peasants or manufacturers in Devonshire and Yorkshire would not immedi ately feel them, nor perhaps difcover them till they felt them. But it was urged that though thofe who were bufily employed, might not find time to confider these matters immediately, till they began to feel their effects, yet this was no reason why those who faw their diftant approach, fhould keep filent, and not warn them. Those who perceive the subversion of liberty in the cause thereof, may be few, which is generally the cafe; but this will not prove that there are never approaches to oppreffion, or remote caufes of the fubverfion of freedom, If the few who perceive effects in their caufes can open the eyes of others, they do no more than what is their duty, and perform a piece of real service to the community.

It was added on this fide of the queftion, that though many gentlemen of large fortunes, and the clergy, had not figned the petitions, yet a great number had done it, and thefe of the moft independent rank and character; and of thofe who had refused to fign, many of them were under a particular influence. That the juftices of the peace were officers of the crown, and that no body of men were under greater influence than the clergy, yet that fome of thefe had even figned the petitions. It was afked likewife if the generality of the freeholders were of no fignifica tion? if their opinion was of no weight? and it was

afferted

afferted that they were that respectable body of men who were alone fuperior to all threatenings, fear, and influence. It was further urged, that the petitioning counties, cities, and towns were in refpect to opulence and number of inhabitants, far fuperior to thofe that had not petitioned; and that they contributed more to the land-tax, which was now a test of freehold property in this country, than the rest of the united kingdom. Thefe, with fome other fimilar arguments were used on this occafion on the fide of the oppofition.

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Soon after the meeting of the parliament, a long train of refignations took place. Lord Camden refigned the feals; the Marquis of Granby, all his pla ces except the regiment of Blues; the Duke of Beaufort his place of Mafter of the Horfe to the Queen; the Duke of Manchefter. and Earl of Coventry, of Lords of the Bed-chamber; the Earl of Huntington his place of groom of the stable, and Mr James Gren ville his office of one of the Vice-treafurers of Ireland, Mr Dunning, the Solicitor-general, allo refigned that employment. The whole of adminiftration feemed in a fhattered condition, and fuch convulfions prevailed as ftruck a panic in the body politic; the court was, however, refolved to purfue the plan it had fet out upon, and was determined to govern by men who, had no popular views or connections, and to maintain its ground, notwithstanding fo many of its principal managers had deferted its caufe. There are certain periods of fatality in the hiftory of nations, when men employed in the management of public affairs proceed upon the most abfurd principles, contrary to all reafon, and conviction, and rufh headlong over the precipice of their own defpotifm into the gulf of anihilation. What prudence and moderation might have preferved

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preferved for ages, they frequently destroy in one day, and by the rapidity of the most jarring and difcordant measures, grind to pieces thofe fprings and wheels of government, which, by the courfe of regular motion would have endured as long as time. The English conftitution is a contrivance of wifdom, formed to last for ever, when purfùed upon its own principles; when the feveral balances are kept in equilibrio, and every power acts in its own fphere; but if any of its powers are permitted to encroach upon the sphere of another, the frame will foon fall to pieces, and become a perfect ruin. This was the cafe before the revolution, when the executive power overbalanced the legiflative, and reduced the community to a ftate of nature. In the time of the long parliament, one part of the legislature overbalanced the other, and overturned the constitution, and introduced anarchy. All this fhews that the greatest care should be observed by those employed in public matters, to preferve an equilibrium in all parts of the conftitution. But this can never be done, when the crown has it in its power to corrupt the legislature. Riches committed into the hands of the fovereign to oil the wheels of government, will foon make a prime minifter, unless he is both wife and vir tuous, like the fon of Phoebus,-drive fo furiously till he fet the nation in a flame. Anarchy is an evil and dangerous thing, but it is not equally fo bad as tyranny. The jarring parts of a broken conftitution, that through popular convulfions, are thrown into confufion, may, by wisdom, be arranged and put into order, and reared up like a new creation; but when there is no power but one exifting, into which all the reft are abforbed, it will be next to impoffible to reftore the fabric.

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