upon linens and India goods imported into North America from Britain; reckoning that the whole would raise 100,000l. To thefe was added the ftamp act, which, as well as all the above measures, they fupported and defended in a certain honourable affembly. But fuch was the inutility of their projects, and fo extremely inadequate did they prove to the propofed duty on fugar, that when Mr. Dowdeswell brought in his account of them, they had but juft cleared 12,000l. They were repealed; but ftill the Weft Indians took care to keep the burthen off their own fhoulders, and to throw it upon the North Americans: for, finding the adminiftration unable to fathom their defigns, they surprised them into the measure of the last sugar act, laying no less than feven and twenty fhillings upon the white fugars imported into North America; which is a moft intolerable grievance, and against which the New York merchants laft winter fo ftrongly petitioned.

With the fucceeding adminiftration, the Weft Indians seem not only to have preferved, but even to have increased their great power and influence; as is fuppofed by the connection which there is known to be between their leader and the earl of Chatham, whofe fac totum he hath certainly been; for it is obvious that a regard to their interefts, has both controuled and directed the public counfels of this country all laft winter. How wifely, let the candid public determine; whose dearest and most important concerns, have either been neglected, or facrificed to the ambition and avarice of these interested and overgrown merchants. They tried every artifice, and exerted all their ftrength, to prevent any retrofpect being taken of the North American grievances. The bait of the Eaft India company was thrown out, and a whole season hath been taken up and employed, with fcarce any other bufinefs; at least none of any material importance. And for what was this done? was it not to divert the public attention from the great, the enormous gains of the fugar planters ? The scheme of clamouring about the East, and telling us to look to the rifing fun, had, at bottom, little more for its object than to keep us from looking to the West.

Interefting NOTES on the WORKS of the late Mr. CHURCHILL.

October, who the Caufe of freedom join'd,
And gave a SECOND GEORGE to bless mankind.

Gotham, book 1.

This excelente princerty. HIS excellent prince on many occafions ventured his life in the cause of liberty. His diftinguished bravery at the battles of Oudenard and Dettingen was frequently the fubject of the unfufpected praise of our inveterate enemies, the French. He was always a fteady friend to the liberties of mankind, and like the former princes of his house and of the Naffau line, kept a watchful eye over the Bourbon family, well knowing their rooted enmity to our religion and government, and their long-meditated schemes for grafping at universal monarchy He often checked the reftlefs ambition of France in its mad career, by the moft firm, wife, and fuccefsfu! meafures. At his death he left us in poffeffion of the capitals of the French in Afia and America, and of many other important conquefts there, as well as in Europe and Africa, the greatest part of which we loft foon after by the peace of Paris, which proved more fatal to England, than all the fwords of all our

enemies.

It is justice to the memory of the late king to declare, that he no less endeavoured to make his people free and happy at home, than to carry the glory of the British arms to the higheft pitch every where abroad. During his reign the laws were refpected and obeyed. Liberty and juflice fat with him on the throne. The execution of earl Ferrers impreffed all foreign nations with the greatest idea of the facredness of our laws, and the protection they give to the meaneft fubject under a firm and mild fovereign. It was likewife believed, that if the court martial on lord George Sackville had given the fentence, which all Europe expected, the juftice of his late majefly would have ordered it to be carried into execution.

The poet knew and deeply felt the obligation, which a nation has to fuch a prince. He pays it, when he cannot lie under the fufpicion of flattery, at a time when it was feen that no man could fo effectually make his court as by vilifying the memory of our late fovereign, and tearing the laurels from his tomb. In this tafk numberless mercenaries were employed, but it is a fufficient anfwer to a legion of them, that in the first address of the house of lords to the present king,

it is observed that his majesty's PREDECESSOR, through his whole reign, never once fuffered the rights of any one of his fubjects to be violated.

I hope to be excused, when I add, that the praise which the late king now receives, is a tribute of public, not of private, gratitude. It comes from the meaneft of his lubjects, who looks back with rapture on the first thirty years of his life, because they were paffed in his native country, in the land of liberty, when the prince on the throne loved and cherished it. The poet is removed from the melancholy scene, which has followed. His tears no longer flow for his dear countiv— is country weeps for him-I will only add in the words of C. Nofque malo folatio, fed nonnullo tamen, confolamur, quod ipfius vicem minimè dolemus,-Immò Herculè, quia fic amabat patriam, ut mibi aliquo deorum beneficio videatur ex ejus incendio effe ereptus.

But if, in fearching round the world we find
Some gen'rous youth, the friend of all mankind,
Whofe anger, like the bolt of Jove, is fped
In terrors only at the guilty head,

Whose mercies, like heaven's dew, refreshing fall
In gen'ral love and charity to all,

Pleas'd we behold fuch worth on any throne,
And doubly pleas'd we find it on our own.

NIGHT.

This is undoubtedly the handfomeft compliment, which has yet been paid to his prefent majefty. It was published in honour of a young king, very early in his reign. The English at that time entertained the fondeft hopes of being happy under the government of a prince, who was born in their country, and, who, it was natural to imagine, would have a predilection for them. But in a few months every Englishman of any great talents, or confideration, was disgraced, Mr. Legge, the dukes of Newcastle and Devonshire, &c. Lord Bute eftablished his omnipotence through every department of the ftate.

For

For the POLITICAL REGISTER.

SIR,

To the PUBLISHER.

The following Extracts are extremely curious. They were made with much care and the utmoft fidelity, by a gentleman who seems to have preferved the fpirit of English liberty in a land of finging and of dancing flaves. They prove two political points of importance. The firft is, that

France was reduced to the greatest distress before the infamous peace of Paris in 1763. This is fhewn, not from the exceptionable writings of private perfons, but from the teftimony of public bodies, from these remonftrances of the various parliaments of that kingdom. The fecond is, that these remonstrances are lefs refpectful both as to the matter and the mode of expreffion, than the writings of any political authors in England. Yet these were presented to the fovereign, published to the nation by order of the respective courts of juftice, and met with very general approbation. In England more freedom in these points fhould be allowed, from the nature of the government, and because fuch writings never directly reach the throne. The prefs feems indeed the only way, by which a prince, who wishes to know the truth, can ever difcover the real fentiments of his people at large, with refpect to his government and his minifters.

Extracts from the Remonftrances of the various Parlia ments of France, in the Year 1763.

A dépopulation des Campagnes prouve manifeftement que les efforts extraordinaires que ledit Seigneur Roi a exige par l'interpofition de fon autorité abfolue, ont épuifé toutes les refsources.

Le dépériffement du Royaume, la diminution fenfible du nombre de fes habitans, celle de la culture, la désertion qui laiffe en friche une partie de la France, l'accroiffement de la mendicité, le découragement répandu fur les travaux de la champagne, la frayeur qu'infpire dans l'éfprit des cultivateurs l'idée feule de la mélioration de leurs terres; que tous ces traits, qui font autant de points de fait, caractérisent une ruiné univerfelle.

Remontrances du Parlement de Paris, de 19 May, 1763;

Il ne faut que s'éloigner de la Capitale, pour ne plus appercevoir que dépérillement, que traces d'émigration, que mifére & impuiffance dans ceux qui refteut: qu'on voit journellement des malheureux contraints au payement d'Impôts par la vente de leur grains, de leurs beftiaux, même de leurs outils. Le projet de liquidation des dettes de l'Etat, compromet en nombre d'Articles l'équité dudit Seigneur Roi, la foi de fes engagemens, la fubfiftance de fes fujets, & continue de rompre le reffort important de la confiance publique.

Rem, du Parl. de Paris de 18 Juin 1763.

La continuation du Don Gratuit, contraire aux engagemens précis de votre Majefté, en compromettant la parole Royale, l'expoferoit à jamais à un difcrédit que la néceffité ne peut

excufer.

Rem. du Par!. de Paris de 27 Août 1763.

Il a droit de porter audit Seigneur Roi fes juftes plaintes d'une administration, qui depuis près d'une année, n'a oppofée aux malheurs publics, que les actes les plus capables d'accélérer la ruine de l'Etat. Quelque foit le pouvoir fuprême dont ledit Seigneur Roi pofféde la plénitude, ce pouvoir n'eft point au-dessus de Loix de fon Etat.

Tout a été facrifié, régles de Droit public, fureté de Tribunaux, honneur de la magiftrature, dignité du Trône même.

Rem. du Parl. de Paris de 17 Dec. 1763.

La fituation déplorable des Peuples-les fpectacle vraiment attendriffant de la mifére de fes peuples-le cri pénétrant de la misére n'a besoin ni d'exagérations, ni de fauffes couleurs pour toucher le cœur paternel dudit Seigneur Roi.

Remontrances du Confeil Souverain de Roufillon de 16 Août 1763.

Ils étoient dès lors épuifés ; & les efforts que l'intérêt le plus vif pour la gloire de Votre Majefté & pour le falut de l'Etat leur ont fait faire depuis cette époque, ont porté l'épuisement à fon dernier période.

Les beftiaux néceffaires à la culture, les outils aratoires, les vêtemens, les portions les plus précieufes du patrimoine, les denrées les plus néceffaires à la fubfiftance, tout a été negocié pour l'acquit des arrérages immenfes des Vingtiémes & pour celui des Impofitions courantes. L'Argent eft entiérement épuisé,

Rem. du Parl. de Pau de 17 Août 1763.

Les