prevailed every day more and more; and that things were haftening towards an incurable alienation of our colonies; I confefs my caution gave way. I felt this, as one of those few moments in which decorum yields to an higher duty. Publick calamity is a mighty leveller; and there are occa fions when any, even the slightest, chance of doing good, must be laid hold on, even by the most inconfiderable person. To reftore order and repofe to an empire fo great and fo diftracted as ours, is, merely in the attempt, an undertaking that would ennoble the flights of the highest genius, and obtain pardon for the efforts of the meaneft understanding. Struggling a good while with these thoughts, by degrees I felt myself more firm. I derived, at length, fome confidence from what in other circumstances usually produces timidity. I grew less anxious, even from the idea of my own infignificance. For, judging of what you are, by what you ought to be, I perfuaded myself, that you would not reject a reasonable propofition, because it had nothing but its reason to recommend it. On the other hand, being totally deftitute of all fhadow of influence, natural or adventitious, I was very fure, that, if my propofition were futile or dangerous; if it were weakly conceived, or improperly timed, there was nothing exterior to it, of power to awe, dazzle, or delude you. You will fee it just as it is; and you will treat it just as it deferves. The propofition is peace. Not peace through the medium of war; not peace to be hunted through the labyrinth of intricate and endless negociations; not peace to arife out of univerfal difcord, fomented from principle, in all parts of the empire; not peace to depend on the juridical determination of perplexing questions; or the precife marking the fhadowy boundaries of a complex government. It is fimple peace;. fought in its natural courfe, and its ordinary haunts. It is peace fought in the spirit of peace; and laid in principles purely pacifick. I propofe, by removing the ground of the difference, and by reftoring the former unfufpecting confidence of the colonies in the mother country, to give permanent fatisfaction to your people; and (far from a scheme of ruling by difcord) to reconcile them to each other in the fame act, and by the bond of the very fame intereft, which reconciles them to British government. My idea is nothing more. Refined policy ever has been the parent of confufion; and ever will be fo, as long as the world endures. Plain good intention, which is as easily discovered at the first view, as fraud is furely detected at laft, is, let me fay, of no mean force in the government of mankind. Genuine fimplicity of heart is an healing and ce menting menting principle. formed upon the moft fimple grounds imaginable, may difappoint fome people, when they hear it. It has nothing to recommend it to the pruriency of curious ears. There is nothing at all new and captivating in it. It has nothing of the fplendor of the project, which has been lately laid upon your table by the noble lord in the blue ribband.* It does not propofe to fill your lobby with squab. bling colony agents, who will require the interpofition of your mace, at every inftant, to keep the peace amongst them. It does not inftitute a mag My plan, therefore, being * ،، That when the governor, council, or affembly, or gene"ral court, of any of his majefty's provinces or colonies in "America, fhall propofe to make provifion, according to the condi❝tion, circumftances, and fituation, of fuch province or colony, "for contributing their proportion to the common defence (fuch pro" portion to be raised under the authority of the general court, ❝ or general affembly, of such province or colony, and disposable by parliament) and fhall engage to make provifion alfo for the "fupport of the civil government, and the administration of "juftice, in fuch province or colony, it will be proper, if fuch propofal fhall be approved by his majesty, and the two houses of par"liament, and for fo long as fuch provision shall be made accord"ingly, to forbear, in respect of fuch province or colony, to levy "any duty, tax, or affeffment, or to impofe any farther duty, "tax, or affeffiment, except fuch duties as it may be expedient ،، to continue to levy or impofe, for the regulation of commerce ; "the nett produce of the duties last mentioned to be carried to "the account of fuch province or colony respectively." Refolution moved by Lord North in the committee; and agreed to by the houfe, 27th Feb. 1775. nificent nificent auction of finance, where captivated provinces come to general ransom by bidding against each other, until you knock down the hammer, and determine a proportion of payments, beyond all the powers of algebra to equalize and fettle. The plan, which I fhall presume to fuggeft, derives, however, one great advantage from the propofition and registry of that noble lord's project. The idea of conciliation is admiffible. First, the house, in accepting the refolution moved by the noble lord, has admitted, notwithstanding the menacing front of our address, notwithstanding our heavy bill of pains and penalties-that we do not think ourselves precluded from all ideas of free grace and bounty. The house has gone farther; it has declared conciliation admiffible, previous to any fubmiffion on the part of America. It has even fhot a good deal beyond that mark, and has admitted, that the complaints of our former mode of exerting the right of taxation were not wholly unfounded. That right thus exerted is allowed to have had something reprehenfible in it; something unwife, or fomething grievous; fince, in the midft of our heat and resentment, we, of ourselves, have propofed a capital alteration; and, in order to get rid of what seemed fo very exceptionable, have inftituted a mode that is altogether new; one that is, VOL. III. indeed, D indeed, wholly alien from all the antient methods and forms of parliament. The principle of this proceeding is large enough for my purpose. The means propofed by the noble lord for carrying his ideas into execution, I think indeed, are very indifferently fuited to the end; and this I fhall endeavour to fhew you before I fit down. But, for the prefent, I take my ground on the admitted principle. I mean to give peace. Peace implies reconciliation; and where there has been a material difpute, reconciliation does in a manner always imply conceffion on the one part or on the other. In this state of things I make no difficulty in affirming, that the propofal ought to originate from us. Great and acknowledged force is not impaired, either in effect or in opinion, by an unwillingness to exert itself. The fuperior power may offer peace with honour and with fafety. Such an offer from fuch a power will be attributed to magnanimity. But the con.ceffions of the weak are the conceffions of fear. When fuch a one is difarmed, he is wholly at the mercy of his fuperior; and he lofes for ever that time and thofe chances, which, as they happen to all men, are the firength and resources of all inferior power. The capital leading queftions on which you must this day decide, are thefe two. First, whether you ought |