Hillsborough, and to execute their vengeance on him and his company there. They put their threatenings in execution, and in a moft mercilefs and cruel manner treated Colonel Fanning, Mr Hooper, and fome others. They defired the judge to proceed, but ac cording as they directed him, and put a stop to all proceedings of juftice. The judge efcaped with dif ficulty, by fecretly withdrawing, which put them into a great rage, and provoked them to fuch a degree, i that they plundered and deftroyed all the furniture in Colonel Fanning's houfe, feized all his papers andri books, and scattered them in the wind; they also carried off all his money and plate, drank plentifully of his liquors, and fet the reft a-running in the ftreets. They next broke the church bell in pieces, and were going to pull down the church, but in this they did not agree. to finish their tragedy, they took a negro that was hanging in chains, and pláced him in the judge's chair, to fhew their entire contempt of all juftice. Such is the dangerous tendency of commotions in government; under the fhadow and pretence of purfuing their own privileges, own privileges, mifchievous and wicked men often defpife all legal government, and plunder their fellow fubjects. The reports concerning the riot at Bofton had now reached England, which made it neceffary for parliament to enquire into the caufes and reafons of that unfortunate affair. The minifter appeared fhy on this occafion, for though two regiments were shut up in Castle William, without any order from government, which was no fmall affront to the minifter and the court, yet they were afraid to enter upon an enquiry, for fear of the oppofition infifling upon an enquiry concerning the whole affair. It was thought that government imagined, by fuffering the matter to hang in fufpence,

that

that the colonists would, divide and fall out among then felves, and fo make the business of the miniftry more easy. In this they were, however, mistaken.

T

A motion was made upon the 8th of May, for an address to the throne, fetting forth the difputes that had arifen among the feveral governors and commanders, in almost all the colonies fince the appointment of a commander in, chief; that the colonies have been for fome time, and ftill are, from this and other causes, in a state of great diforder and con. fufion; that the people of America complain of the establishment of an army there, as fetting up a military government over the civil; and therefore praying that all these matters may be confidered, and fuch measures taken as would replace things upon a conftitutional footing. This motion was introduced by obferving, that in the prefent critical fituation of affairs, they were exprefsly called upon to enquire, how the minifters here, no lefs than their officers, there, have managed fo unfortunately, as to kindle the prefent flame of diffention between the mother country and the colonies. That in fulfilling this, duty, they must not only confider the matter of fact, but the right of things: not only the turbulence of the Americans, but the caufe of that turbulence and not only the power of the crown, but the equity with which that power has been exercifed. This was a motion which was not likely to be carried in a houfe. where the minifter had a powerful majority. It met with the fate of many others of the like nature, and had a negative put upon it. Upon reflections, one cannot help thinking it ftrange, that men who are employed in business, and manage it fairly, fhould have fuch an averfion to having their conduct examined.. A refufal of this fort always implies, either fome de

fe&t

fect in management, or an arbitrary defpotifm in thofe 'employed in public affairs; both of which are inconfiftent with the true exercife of good government,

In the debates on this occafion, the minifterialists made a poor figure; after ages, when tamely reading the debates in this feffion of parliament, will be filled with astonishment to find, that in a matter of fo much confequence, there should have been any occafion for debate at all; and it will equally amaze them, unlessthey are equally corrupted, to view the defences of administration, of a caufe, which none, except men of corrupt minds, and deftitute of all fenfe of honour, fhame, and humanity, would attempt to maintain. The miniftry on this occafion were charged with tergiverfation, and want of fystem. It was affirmed that they had fent contradictory orders to the governors in the colonies, and made their fervants blunder like themselves, for want of a settled plan of operation; that they had impofed taxes, and repealed them, impofed them, and repealed them again; diffolved affemblies, and called them again; and fuffered them to fit and proceed to bufinefs, without difavowing or difcountenancing the measures that had procured their diffolution. Promifes had been made to the affemblies, that certain duties fhould be taken off, and repealed, which were unwarrantable, of dangerous confequence, and an high breach of privilege; and that it was equally derogatory from the honour of the crown, and freedom of parliamentary deliberations, to have its faith pledged to perform fuch promises. Troops had been fent, driven out with difgrace, and violence and fubmiffion had alternately fucceeded one another; that treafons had been charged and adopted by parliament, which were neither proved, nor attempted to be proved: or if they exifted, were Hh

they

they attempted to be detected and punished, which was an high reflection upon the dignity of parliament. This fort of reasoning had no influence; the ministry with a fort of ftoical indifference, bore all with patience, without attempting even to make their ufual defence. A few reflections, for the fake of form, were thrown out against the colonists, as turbulent, difloyal, and diffaffected to the government of this -country, and people that wanted to be independent of Great Britain. It was afferted that the crown had a right to fend troops to any part of the empire, and station them there according to pleasure; and that there was a neceffity of employing them at that time, for fupporting the progrefs of the laws, against a people that were nearly in a state of rebellion. These reflections were only thrown out as hints, without any particular difcuffion, rather to get clear of the debate for the prefent, than as arguments intended to convince the oppofite party of the propriety of the reafoning. Thofe that

are guided by the dictates of common fenfe, and plain arguments must not expect them from the miniftry at this time. Even their champions, who undertook to defend their measures in long laboured differtations upon government, and the rights of fupreme powers to rule over all their dominions with abfolute fway, were in great diftrefs to find principles and conclufions Which plain men could understand. Many dark and difmal productions teemed from the prefs, stuffed with arbitrary conclufions, void of all poffibility of demonftration. Thefe 'were echoed by the hirelings of the miniftry as unanfwerable productions, though thofe who trumpeted their fame most, did not underftand a word that was in them. They were intend ed to throw a mift in the eyes of the public, to cover defigns

defigns that could not be decently avowed openly, and this was all that the authors could propofe, except their penfions, which they greatly expected." After all the dufts of the fchoolmen and cafuifts had been fwept together, and thrown in the eyes of the people, the majority still preserved their fight, and perceived the defigns of the miniftry. It would be the greatest infult to truth and common fenfe, to affirm that the arguments on both fides were of equal force. There were many abfurd things faid on both fides, as will often happen in the courfe of difputation, but in forming an estimate of the force of the arguments, a man of very plain understanding will be at no lofs, (fetting afide private fintereft and prejudice), which way to' determine. Those who attempt to defend the proceedings of either party in all particulars, will find it a tak not eafily to be performed; and it will fhew more of partiality than good fenfe, to affirm that there were not errors on both fides.It is a part of our natural infelicity which has prevailed for fome time paft, that parties in oppofition have been for defending their own proceedings, when they have totally given up the principles by which they only could be defended; and by departing from the true prin ciples of charity, have made no allowances for the prejudices and weakness of their opponents. What has much aggravated this evil is, that in the various difputes upon this fubject, the moral fide of the queftion has been but little confidered. Systems of policy, or of goverment, without morality, are like a body without a fpirit, only dead and beggarly ele. ments, generated by corruption, and fupported by obftinacy. Moral privileges are by the laws of nature as much the right of rational creatures, as thofe that come under the notion of political; and human policy, with

out