תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

and deliberately charges three millions of people with having renounced their allegiance to the British crown, it is not fufficient that he does not know that his charge is not true; for it is neceffary that he fhould know it to be true. But it is on the contrary notorious, that however the authority of parliament may have been difputed, the fovereignty of the crown or of the perfon of the king has not been denied or even queftioned in a fingle inftance, verbally or in writing, by the wildeft fon of liberty in any British American Colony.

[ocr errors]

7thly, Our Author looking forward to the conqueft of the Colonies, fays, When they are reduced to obedience, may that obedience be fecured by ftricter laws and ftronger obligations!' and he afterwards adds the following obfervation, which feems intended to promote confiscations, and other attendant punishments, though not as we charitably hope with an expectation of receiving any valuable American forfeiture as the reward of his prefent performance. Nothing (adds he) can be more noxious to fociety than that erroneous clemency which, when a rebellion is fuppreffed, exacts no forfeiture, and establishes no fecurity, but leaves the rebels in their former state.'

Towards the clofe of this answer, our Author consents to interrupt for a while this dream of conqueft, fettlement, and fupremacy,' and to reflect, that we may possibly be checked in our career of reduction: may be reduced to peace on equal terms, or driven from the western continent, and forbidden to violate a fecond time the happy borders of the land of liberty.'-Should this ever happen, we fhall have abundant caufe to reprobate thofe meafures and principles for which our Author is a zealous, if not a fuccessful advocate. B. Art. 16. Common Senfe; in Nine Conferences, between a British Merchant, and a candid Merchant of America, in their private Capacities as Friends; tracing the feveral Caufes of the -prefent Contests between the Mother Country and her American Subjects; the Fallacy of their Prepoffeffions; and the Ingratitude and Danger of them; the reciprocal Benefits of National Friendfhip; and the Moral Obligations of Individuals which enforce it: with various Anecdotes and Reasons drawn from Facts, tending to conciliate all Differences, and to establish a permanent Union, for the common Happiness and Glory of the British Empire. Ato. 2 s. Dodsley.

With a very tiresome exertion of our patience, we have perufed one hundred and twenty-feven quarto pages, (clofely printed) without finding a fingle new fact or argument of any importance.in the difpute which is here fo diffufely agitated. We admire indeed the perfevering induftry of the Author of this "Common Senfe," but it feems neceffary that his fentiments should be a little less common, to intereft any other than patient Reviewers to give them a reading. The Candid Merchant of America,' who is here employed to fupport nine tedious conferences, and to be converted from his opinions, and fent home to convert his countrymen, appears to have been a greater booby than even the letter writer who was brought forward fome time fince by a Reverend Dean. This kind of difputation is eafily managed, and always terminates according

to the predeftination of the manager. But in the prefent inftance, the farce is fo unentertaining, that it feems very unlikely to engage the public attention, unless the Author fhould employ a turner to give extenfion, figure, and fubitance to his American and British puppets, and afterwards fend them to rehearse their Nine Conferences at the Little Theatre in James-Street,-and even there they may perhaps prove foporiferous. B. Art. 17. Remarks on the New Essay of the Penfylvanian Farmer, and on the Refolves and Inftructions prefixed to that Effay; by the Author of the Right of the British Legislature Vindicated. Svo. 1 s. Becket.

The Author of thefe Remarks appears to poffefs confiderable abilities for literary controverfy, and has employed them dextrously, (though fometimes very illiberally) in oppofition to the Farmer's Effay. That Effay having been haftily written, contains fome inaccuracies of which our Author avails himself,-befides which, he appears fometimes to evade the force of the Farmer's arguments, and at others to mistake or misrepresent their true meaning; and we not unfrequently find him reasoning from erroneous positions, fuch for instance, as that the first American Colonists settled on lands previously belonging to the British fitate, which we flightly controverted in our Review for January last, and could easily refute by the most decifive facts and authorities.

After due confideration, we find 'no caufe to retract the approbation expressed in a former Review, of the Essay, which is the fubject of our Author's Remarks;- at the fame time we freely acknowledge that his performance is inferior to but few of those which have been lately written on that fide of the question.

We must except however that part of our Author's Remarks where, with a view to prove that taxes are not free gifts, he injudicioufly cites a number of facts from Cotton's abridgment of the Records, which clearly prove as he himself declares, “That parJiamentary grants for many centuries, (not being neceffary to the fupport of government by reafon of the great extent of the Royal domains,) were mere voluntary gratuities." Thefe premises, which are certainly true, and which he has taken pains to prove, in our opinion, warrant conclufions directly oppofite to those that he endeavours to draw from them,-for no fucceeding improvidence in the crown can have altered the nature of thofe parliamentary grants which having been, to use his own words,' mere voluntary gratuities,' must have been free gifts, and must have continued to be fo to the prefent time. To this part of his anfwer, the lines which he has applied to the Farmer's Effay, feem applicable, viz.

"His arguments directly tend

"Again the caufe he would defend." B. Art. 18. The Anna's of Adminiftration: containing the genuine Hiftory of Georgiana the Queen Mother and Prince Coloninus her Son. A Biographical Fragment. Written about the Year 1575. Inferibed by the Proprietor of the Authentic Papers, to Edmund Burke Efq; 8vo. Is. Bew. 1775.

December 1774. P. 390.

B.

This is intended as an allegoric explanation of the origin and progress of our American difputes: the allegory, however, is poorly conducted, and highly deficient in fentiment and imagination. Art. 19. A Dialogue between a Southern Delegate and bis Spouse on his Return from the Grand Continental Congrefs. A Fragment. Infcribed to the married Ladies of America, &c. 8vo. No printer's or publisher's name appears to this performance, and juftice requires us to difmifs it as beneath all criticism. B. Art. 20. The Affociation, &c. of the Delegates of the Colonies at the Grand Congrefs, held at Philadelphia September 1, 1774, verfified and adapted to Mufic; calculated for grave and gay Difpofitions, with a fhort Introduction. By Bob Jingle, Poet Laureat to the Congress.

This is an attempt to ridicule the affociation, &c. of the late Congrefs, and like the former article appears without the name of any printer or publisher. If we are not miftaken, they are importations from America.

B. Art. 21. The Speech of John Wilkes, Efq; Lord Mayor of the City of London, in the Houfe of Commons, February the 8th 177, relative to a Motion made by Lord North on the American Taxation Bills. Fol. 3 d. E. Johnson.

This Speech appears to have been more accurately taken and more correctly printed, than commonly happens to fuch extemporaneous effufions.

Art. 22. What think ye of the Congress now? Or, an Enquiry how far the Americans are bound to abide by and execute the Decifions of the late Continental Congrefs. With a Plan by Samuel Galloway, Efq; for a propofed Union between Great Britain and the Colonies. To which is added, an Alarm to the Legislature of the Province of New York, occafioned by the prefent Political Disturbances. Addreffed to the Representatives in General Affembly convened. New York. 8vo. is. 6 d. Reprinted for Richardfon and Urquhart, 1775.

This production like feveral others which have been formerly noticed by us, (all manufactured in the fame place) is intended to diffuade the people of New York from concurring with their fifter Colonies in adhering to the affociation, &c. of the Congrefs.-The Alarm to the legislature of that Province reprefents the measures of the Congrefs as an infringement of the legal authority of the affembly there, and deferving of its refentment. The following extract will show our Author's opinion of measures which ought to be pursued by the legiflature of the Province of New York, viz.

Let it then be the bufinefs of this feffion, after providing for the immediate exigencies of this province, to do what ought to be done by every province on the continent; that is, to prepare and tranfmit proper addreffes to the King, Lords, and Commons of Great Britain; decently ftating your whole claims, and dutifully requesting that they may speedily be confirmed to you. Addreffes from your body will be received and regarded; which is a greater honour than could have been allowed to addreffes from the Congress. In your addreffes, declare that you act in behalf of a loyal province, which you conftitutionally reprefent, and that you have

[blocks in formation]

B.

no connection with the late Congrefs. Candidly and generously confefs, that a miftaken zeal for liberty has produced among us fome tumultuous and diforderly proceedings, which are not to be juftified. Beg that all these things may be buried in oblivion, and that there may be no repeating of paft grievances. Profefs, in your own names and in ours, loyalty and allegiance to the King in the strongest terms; and exprefs our willingness to acknowledge the fupremacy of Great Britain in all cafes excepting those of taxation. Give affurances that we dread the very thoughts of an abfolute independency; and that we fee no profpect of fecurity or happiness, but under the powerful protection and mild fuperintendency of the mother country.

• In confideration of our being indulged with the favours requested, fignify your willingness to bind yourfelves and your conflituents to raife annually, without any deduction, fuch a fum as may be thought equitable, for the general fupport of government; and promife, at the fame time, that this province will always pay due regard to his Majefty s farther requifitions, in cafes of emergency. In fhort, propofe and fay whatever you may think proper; only be careful that your addreffes be dutiful, your requests reafonable, and your offers generous; and then, I doubt not but this province will be received by the mother country with open arms."

We fhall alfo fubjoin the plan of a propofed union, &c. which feems calculated to give the people of America all the fecurity of a parliamentary reprefentation, unattended with thofe difficulties, which would refult from their fending reprefentatives across the Atlantic to the British parliament.--It may perhaps be confidered as too much to allow the propofed American grand council a diftin& negative voice (like either Houfe of Parliament) upon all acts affecting America, but it ought to be remembered, that any fecurity which the people of America may gain from this diftinct or feparate convention of their reprefentatives, will be counter-balanced by the lofs they must suffer in not being permitted, like the Scotch reprefentatives, to partake in the authority, making laws to affect the people of England, or of any other part of the British Empire.

A Plan of a propofed UNION.

That a British and American legiflature, for regulating the adminiftration of the general affairs of America, be propofed and eftablished in America, including all the faid Colonies; within, and under which government, each Colony fhall retain its prefent conftitution, and powers of regulating and governing its own in ternal police, in all cafes whatever.

That the faid government be adminiftered by a PrefidentGeneral, to be appointed by the King, and a Grand Council to be chofen by the Reprefentatives of the people of the feveral Colonies, in their refpective affemblies, once in every three years. That the feveral affemblies fhall chufe members for the Grand Council in the following proportions, viz.

New Hampshire,
Maffachusetts-Bay,

Rhode Island,

Connecticut,

Delaware Counties,
Maryland,

Virginia,

North-Carolina,

New-York,

New-York,
New Jersey,
Pennsylvania,

Who shall meet at the city of

South-Carolina,

and Georgia :

for the first time, being

called by the Prefident General, as foon as conveniently may be after his appointment..

That there fhall be a new election of members for the Grand Council every three years, and on the death, removal, or refignation of any member, his place fhall be fupplied by a new choice, at the next fitting of Affembly of the Colony he represented.

That the Grand Council fhall meet once in every year, if they fhall think it neceffary, and oftener, if occafions fhall require, at fuch time and place as they fhall adjourn to, at the last preceding meeting, or as they fhall be called to meet at, by the PrefidentGeneral, on any emergency.

That the Grand Council fhall have power to chufe their fpeaker, and fhall hold and exercife all the like rights, liberties, and privileges, as are held and exercised by and in the House of Commons of Great Britain.

That the Prefident General hall hold his office during the pleasure of the King, and his affent fhall be requifite to all acts of the Grand Council, and it fhall be his office and duty to cause them to be carried into execution.

[ocr errors]

That the Prefident General, by and with the advice and confent of the Grand Council, fhall hold and exercife all the legislative rights, powers, and authorities, neceffary for regulating and adminiftering all the general police and affairs of the Colonies, in which Great Britain and the Colonies, or any of them, the colonies in general, or more than one colony, are in any manner concerned, as well civil and criminal as commercial.

That the faid Prefident-General, and Grand Council, be an inferior and diftinct branch of the British legislature, united and incorporated with it, for the aforefaid general purposes; and that any of the faid general regulations may originate and be formed and digefted, either in the parliament of Great Britain, or in the faid Grand Council, and being prepared, tranfmitted to the other for their approbation or diffent, and that the affent of both shall be requifite to the validity of all fuch general acts or ftatutes.

That in time of war, all bills for granting aids to the Crown, prepared by the Grand Council, and approved by the PrefidentGeneral, fhall be valid and paffed into a law without the affent of the British parliament.'

B. Art. 23. A Conciliatory Addrefs to the People of Great Britain, and of the Colonies, on the prefent important Crisis. 8vo. I S. Wilkie.

This addrefs appears to have been produced by a benevolent defire of promoting the re-establishment of harmony between Great Britain and the Colonies on equitable terms; for which purpose, the Author enumerates feveral conceffions to be made both on the part of Great Britain and of the people of America for their mutual fecurity and benefit, moft of which appear to be reasonable and juft.-We could with the Author had omitted his oftjcript,

because

« הקודםהמשך »