To the FRIENDS of the CONSTITUTION. With a view to prevent the fignature of the Allocations, it has been malicioufly fuggested, that those who fign preclude them felves from expiciling, hereafter, an opinien in favour of a Reform of the Reprefentation in Parliament. Such certainly is not the cafe. The inftrument of affociation contains a declaration in favour of the Conftiturion, and "that Conftitution (as has been well faid) poffeffes the diftinguished merit, that it has on former occafions been, and will in future be found, competent to correct its errors and reform its abuses." Those who fign may undoubtedly, and confiftently, entertain the fame opinions as before, whether in favour of or againft reform, or whether it should be attempted at this time.

It has also been fuggefted, that such affociations could only be useful to the gentle men, and that, when they had figned them, they might quit the cou try when they pleafed, and leave the middle ranks who had figned to be plundered and ill treated. This fuppsies that fate of ruin and confufion which the affociations undoubtedly will pre

vent.

It is, however, obvious that affocia tion is more neceflary to the man of foll than of great fortune, Le fuffers molt in confuLon :- The house and personal property of a man of good eftate, is a small part of his pofeffions; but one act of violence might ruin a man in the midel rank. It is true, the nobility and gentry of France quitted the provinces in confequence of want of union, and of the giet di'proportion, and little connection, between the different ranks in that country, and in many parts the violence of the people was excited against them by the wickedness of defigning men. The eflect of their retiring was difaftious in the extreme. The country fell into the utmoft diforder-there was no protection, no law, neither life nor property fafe; every man gratified his vengeance by fa'fe accufations, or affalination. At fuch a time the most tudied neutrality, the greatest abstinence from interference, will not protect from the greatest mifchiefs;-farmers and millers were hang up for the port of the people, and to gratify them in respect to the price of corn; and, to turn their attention from the Janous, fores which were on foot, fhopkeepers were obliged to feil at the price the rabble thought proper, and to take paper, depreciated almost to nothing, instead of catl. Trade of courfe declined, and agriculture is fo far ruined, in as fine a corn country as any in the world, that the feverelt famine is expected.

If the people of the country had, on the first confusion, affocated for the protection of their laws and properties, thefe mifchiets could not have kappened.

But far different is the fituation of England.-The nobility and gentry love the country, and much the greater part of them spend the largest share of their time and fortunes there. They are the Magiftrates, and maintain good order, without benefit or reward, except the consciousness of serving their country-They protect the weak and curb the wicked-They fupport the poor and are the patrons of the friendless-Their expences, whether for neceffaries or fuperfluities, maintain the tradefman, and by promoting industry are more beneficial than the diftribut on of fo much money, whicla might encourage idleness and all its bad confequences. Their abundance supplies many : part is extended in hofpitality, but still better by employing the industrious in agriculture, in building, or in ornamenting and inproving the country.-There is no ground for jealoufy as there was in France-- For, here are the fame laws for the greatest Duke and the poorest man in the parth-Every man is equally free. By induftry, activity, and good conduct, any man may rife to the highest fituation -The man of forty feillings per annum has as much to do in forming the Legiflature as he of 4 ocl. per annum.

We have a king, who is as fubfervient to the laws as any of his fubjects, and in fact, through the greater correctnefs of his conduct, is much more fo than most of them, who is not raifed more above them by his fituation than by the excellence of his charafter as a man, whether confidered in public or private life.-The government is mild, and taxes fail as they ought, heavily on the rich, and lightly on the poor-And fuch as do fall on the latter are in the end paid by the rich, by an encreafed price for all articles, and for all fervices, or by a poor-rate.No other country has fuch provifions for the poor-no other country has fuch advantages-fuch a Conftitution, fuch laws, and fuch means of happinefs,-and not to affeciate and ufe every exertion in our power, for the prefervation of fuch bleffings, would furely prove how little we are worthy of them.—Iù fhort, there is not the flightest ground to fuppofe that the nobility and gentry will quit the country, or emigrate, as long as there can be found in it a true English fpirit to maintain the Conftitution; at leaft fuch is the refolution of the perfon who fubfcribes himielf

A SINCERE FRIEND to the COUNTY.