Volume II Part 8 (2/2)
All this, I know well enough, will sound wild and chimerical to the profane herd of those vulgar and mechanical politicians who have no place among us: a sort of people who think that nothing exists but what is gross and material,--and who, therefore, far from being qualified to be directors of the great movement of empire, are not fit to turn a wheel in the machine. But to men truly initiated and rightly taught, these ruling and master principles, which in the opinion of such men as I have mentioned have no substantial existence, are in truth everything, and all in all. Magnanimity in politics is not seldom the truest wisdom; and a great empire and little minds go ill together. If we are conscious of our situation, and glow with zeal to fill our place as becomes our station and ourselves, we ought to auspicate all our public proceedings on America with the old warning of the Church, _Sursum corda!_ We ought to elevate our minds to the greatness of that trust to which the order of Providence has called us. By adverting to the dignity of this high calling our ancestors have turned a savage wilderness into a glorious empire, and have made the most extensive and the only honorable conquests, not by destroying, but by promoting the wealth, the number, the happiness of the human race. Let us get an American revenue as we have got an American empire. English privileges have made it all that it is; English privileges alone will make it all it can be.
In full confidence of this unalterable truth, I now (_quod felix faustumque sit!_) lay the first stone of the Temple of Peace; and I move you,--
”That the colonies and plantations of Great Britain in North America, consisting of fourteen separate governments, and containing two millions and upwards of free inhabitants, have not had the liberty and privilege of electing and sending any knights and burgesses, or others, to represent them in the high court of Parliament.”
Upon this resolution the previous question was put and carried: for the previous question, 270; against it, 78.
As the propositions were opened separately in the body of the speech, the reader perhaps may wish to see the whole of them together, in the form in which they were moved for.
”MOVED,
”That the colonies and plantations of Great Britain in North America, consisting of fourteen separate governments, and containing two millions and upwards of free inhabitants, have not had the liberty and privilege of electing and sending any knights and burgesses, or others, to represent them in the high court of Parliament.”
”That the said colonies and plantations have been made liable to, and bounden by, several subsidies, payments, rates, and taxes, given and granted by Parliament, though the said colonies and plantations have not their knights and burgesses in the said high court of Parliament, of their own election, to represent the condition of their country; _by lack whereof they have been oftentimes touched and grieved by subsidies, given, granted, and amended to, in the said, court, in a manner prejudicial to the common wealth, quietness, rest, and peace of the subjects inhabiting within the same_.”
”That, from the distance of the said colonies, and from other circ.u.mstances, no method hath hitherto been devised for procuring a representation in Parliament for the said colonies.”
”That each of the said colonies hath within itself a body, chosen, in part or in the whole, by the freemen, freeholders, or other free inhabitants thereof, commonly called the General a.s.sembly, or General Court, with powers legally to raise, levy, and a.s.sess, according to the several usages of such colonies, duties and taxes towards defraying all sorts of public services.”[30]
”That the said general a.s.semblies, general courts, or other bodies legally qualified as aforesaid, have at sundry times freely granted several large subsidies and public aids for his Majesty's service, according to their abilities, when required thereto by letter from one of his Majesty's princ.i.p.al Secretaries of State; and that their right to grant the same, and their cheerfulness and sufficiency in the said grants, have been at sundry times acknowledged by Parliament.”
”That it hath been found by experience, that the manner of granting the said supplies and aids by the said general a.s.semblies hath been more agreeable to the inhabitants of the said colonies, and more beneficial and conducive to the public service, than the mode of giving and granting aids and subsidies in Parliament, to be raised and paid in the said colonies.”
”That it may be proper to repeal an act, made in the seventh year of the reign of his present Majesty, int.i.tuled, 'An act for granting certain duties in the British colonies and plantations in America; for allowing a drawback of the duties of customs, upon the exportation from this kingdom, of coffee and cocoa-nuts, of the produce of the said colonies or plantations; for discontinuing the drawbacks payable on China earthen ware exported to America; and for more effectually preventing the clandestine running of goods in the said colonies and plantations.'”
”That it may be proper to repeal an act, made in the fourteenth year of the reign of his present Majesty, int.i.tuled, 'An act to discontinue, in such manner and for such time as are therein mentioned, the landing and discharging, lading or chipping, of goods, wares, and merchandise, at the town and within the harbor of Boston, in the province of Ma.s.sachusetts Bay, in North America.'”
”That it may be proper to repeal an act, made in the fourteenth year of the reign of his present Majesty, int.i.tuled, 'An act for the impartial administration of justice, in the cases of persons questioned for any acts done by them, in the execution of the law, or for the suppression of riots and tumults, in the province of the Ma.s.sachusetts Bay, in New England.'”
”That it may be proper to repeal an act, made in the fourteenth year of the reign of his present Majesty, int.i.tuled, 'An act for the better regulating the government of the province of the Ma.s.sachusetts Bay, in New England.'”
”That it may be proper to explain and amend an act, made in the thirty-fifth year of the reign of King Henry the Eighth, int.i.tuled, 'An act for the trial of treasons committed out of the king's dominions.'”
”That, from the time when the general a.s.sembly, or general court, of any colony or plantation in North America, shall have appointed, by act of a.s.sembly duly confirmed, a settled salary to the offices of the chief justice and other judges of the superior courts, it may be proper that the said chief justice and other judges of the superior courts of such colony shall hold his and their office and offices during their good behavior, and shall not be removed therefrom, but when the said removal shall be adjudged by his Majesty in council, upon a hearing on complaint from the general a.s.sembly, or on a complaint from the governor, or the council, or the house of representatives, severally, of the colony in which the said chief justice and other judges have exercised the said offices.”
”That it may be proper to regulate the courts of admiralty or vice-admiralty, authorized by the 15th chapter of the 4th George the Third, in such a manner as to make the same more commodious to those who sue or are sued in the said courts; _and to provide for the mere decent maintenance of the judges of the same_.”
FOOTNOTES:
[18] The act to restrain the trade and commerce of the provinces of Ma.s.sachusetts Bay and New Hamps.h.i.+re, and colonies of Connecticut and Rhode Island and Providence Plantation, in North America, to Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Islands in the West Indies; and to prohibit such provinces and colonies from carrying on any fishery on the banks of Newfoundland, and other places therein mentioned, under certain conditions and limitations.
[19] Mr. Rose Fuller.
[20] ”That when the governor, council, and a.s.sembly, or general court, of any of his Majesty's provinces or colonies in America shall _propose_ to make provision, _according to the condition, circ.u.mstances_, and _situation_ of such province or colony, for contributing their _proportion_ to the _common defence_, (such _proportion_ to be raised under the authority of the general court or general a.s.sembly of such province or colony, and disposable by Parliament,) and shall _engage_ to make provision, also for the support of the civil government and the administration, of justice in such province or colony, it will be proper, _if such proposal shall be approved by his Majesty and the two Houses of Parliament_, and for so long as such provision shall be made accordingly, to forbear, in _respect of such province or colony_, to levy any duty, tax, or a.s.sessment, or to impose any farther duty, tax, or a.s.sessment, except only such duties as it may be expedient to continue to levy or to impose for the regulation of commerce: the net produce of the duties last mentioned to be carried to the account of such province or colony respectively.”--Resolution moved by Lord North in the Committee, and agreed to by the House, 27th February, 1775.
[21] Mr. Glover.
[22] The Attorney-General.
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