in their power to relieve the prefent diftrefs of the kingdom. A bill was therefore brought in to indem nify all perfons who had acted in obedience to the late act of council, concerning the embargo.

This bill, when it was brought in, fecured the inferior officers against profecution for their acting contrary to law, but left out the council who had advised the proclamation; and it alfo wanted an introduction to point out the illegality of the measure. This was the occafion of much altercation, in which some of the miniftry who had been formerly very popular, and admired as the friends of liberty, deferted its cause, and advanced doctrines entirely contrary to the principles of the revolution. They not only vindicated the meafure concerning the embargo as a neceffary expedi ent in a critical fituation, but defended it as a matter of right; and maintained, that a dispensing power in cafes of ftate neceffity, was one of the prerogatives of the crown. That which rendered this proclamation inore fufpicious and unpopular, was, that a proclamation had been iffued before, against foreftalling, upon the fame day that the parliament was prorogued, from the 16th of September, till the 11th of November following.

It was argued on this occafion, that provided the ministry had not had fome intention to introduce an arbitrary power, they would have advised the King to have called the parliament, and laid on the embargo by an act of the legislature; for by fuch a long and unneceffary prorogation, all advice of parliament was precluded; that the reafon given for the proclamation was, that his Majesty had not an opportunity to take the advice of parliament, while yet the proclamation for the embargo was iffued fixteen days after that for proroguing the parliament. All this was urged, to prove against

against the miniftry fome defign of purfuing arbitrary measures. After many strong arguments had been used against the measure concerning the embargo, it was inferred, that if the doctrine of the fufpenfion of the laws were admitted on a plea of ftate neceffity, as conftitutional, the revolution could be deemed nothing but a fuccefsful rebellion, and a lawlefs and wicked invafion of the rights of the crown: the bill of rights, a falfe and fcandalous libel, and an infamous impofition upon both prince and people; and James the fecond neither abdicated nor forfeited, but was robbed of his crown. Confistency is a thing not always to be found univerfally obferved in the practice of po liticians; they often make ufe of government to ferve their own purposes, and when they have once committed an error, they endeavour to find arguments to defend it. There is no reason to believe that the miniftry at this time had the finalleft intention of violating the conftitution, and therefore the arguments brought againft their proceedings, could not have the fame force that they had in the cafe of James the fecond; whofe defigns to fubvert the constitution were palpable and evident; but it must be allowed that when they defended, as a right, this ftretch of prerogative, it was but fair to fhew them the inconfiftency of their arguments and proceedings.

1767. The operations of the human paffions, in the fyftems of policy, are a mystery not eafily unveiled; it often happens that when fimple and undesigning people have given their plaudit to meafüres, which from the best evidence they could obtain, they thought deferved approbation, that perfons of refinement will presently attempt to prove that they whre abfurd, ridiculous, and inconsistent. The repealing of the ftamp act, which obtained fo much praife to the former ministry, was attacked by a fet of venal writers,

as

as a piece of the worft policy, and the most inconfiftent with the dignity of Britain of any thing that happened for many years. Mildnefs in government was interpreted pufillanimity and weakness; and an averfion to hoftility and bloodshed was confidered as a want of concern or indifference, for the wel fare of the mother country. Topics of this fort now became common, which made perfons of difcernment conclude that the measures adopted by thofe who promoted the repeal of the stamp act, were not agreeable to an invisible agent, who now intended to: direct the fprings of government; and that another plan of operation would be adopted. The Marquis of Rockingham and his friends had been turned out of their offices before that the difturbances in America were totally fettled, and fome offenfive acts yet remained, to which they had as much averfion as to the ftampact. But before we proceed to confider the new dif turbances that arose this year, and their causes, it may be neceffary to confider the premonitions that were given to this nation and the government concerning their proceedings towards the colonists; and this I fhall do in the words of the writers themfelves.

"The British empire on the continent of Ameri ca is well known to be extrémely extenfive, and is, by our late conquests, and the ceflions that have been made to us, become entirely compact. In the variety of colonies which it comprehends, there are all kinds of foils and climates; fo that there can be no doubt entertained, but that with a farther clearance of the country, (as yet abounding with wild forefts) fertility of foil, and falubrity of air, will become improved, and even perfected, particularly in the moderating of of heat and of cold, while to improvement and population there can hardly any end be forefeen.

"Little doubt can be entertained, that this vaft

country

country will in time become the greatest and most profperous empire that perhaps the world has ever feen. The earth is well known to contain abundance of mines, and probably of every fpecies that can be faid to enrich a country; fo likewife, in time, all products whatever may be expected from the foil. Its feas, banks, bays, coafts, and rivers, we alfo know have the molt abundant fisheries, fo that there can be po natural impediment to its becoming greatly powerful and profperous.,

"The leaft computation of white inhabitants, at prefent, is two millions of fouls and if thereto are added the Indian tribes, Negroes, and Mullattoes, perhaps the whole number of inhabitants lately mentioned in the public papers, may not be an exaggeration, in their being eftimated at five millions. But in confidering the progrefs of population, I fhall confider the white inhabitants only; because in proportion as they increase it may probably be conjectured, that thofe of the other colour will diminish.

"The American writers all agree in acknowledging that from the encouragements, which are given to early marriage, from the facility of acquiring fettlements on lands, and the tempations there are to make them, in the inexhauftible fources of improvement in thofe kinds of property, that the numbers of white inhabitants become doubled in five and twenty years. Let us then confider, upon the bottom on which the colonies ftand at prefent, at how rapid a rate their po pulation must increafe. In twenty-five years their numbers will probably have grown from two millions to four, in fifty years, eight, in feventy-five years to fixteen, and in an hundred years to thirty-two millions; which is fuch a ftriking profpect of increafing population in thofe regions, as fhould induce us to defert

the

the idea of being long able to fubject them by our power, and make us adopt, as its fubftitute, true policy for that purpose which, perhaps, for many ages, may preserve what mere power might fail to fecure for a few years.

"There are no fubjects fo frequently handled as thofe of government, policy, and trade, but in which there is discoverable much ignorance and prepoffeffion, and those often among fuch as fhould beft underftand them? for many judgments are continually feen to be framed, without right information, and too many falfe ones are often obtruded on government, from felf-interested motives; fo that difhonefty and igno rance appear co-operating together, to our great national injury.

"Some late unfortunate tranfactions that have proved greatly irritating to our colonists, have fet them as we fee, upon eftimating for themselves; and that turn, which has perhaps been injudicioufly given to their contemplations, has ferved to convince them of their utility to us, which they feem inclinable to rate at it's very utmost estimation, and accordingly thereon fet a value on themselves; and we ought to be aware how very strongly the estimations of their own utility, will, on all occafions, operate on the minds of indivis duals, or bodies of men.

"The North-Americans now fay and write, that they have ever been toiling for the benefit of the mother country, in which, if they are not confidered as children, their treatment is that of flaves; and therefore, if attempted to be oppreffed, they muft unite in their own defence. They accordingly cry out for union; and we even fee, by the public papers, that there is to be a conference, or congrefs of deputies for that purpofe, which is firft propofed for repre

fentation