and, as it might have the appearance of infult to Majefty, it ought to be fuppreffed.

« XI. That it is the opinion of this meeting, that every measure that shall tend to preferve the RIGHTS of our VALUABLE CONSTITUTION, or that shall be conducive to the HONOUR, the DIGNITY, or the PROSPERITY of the nation, deferves the approbation and support of every good citizen; and that every member of the state should be jealous of INNOVATIONS, cautious of being misled by PARTY, and careful not to become the tool of FACTION."

THESE Refolutions created much fpeculation; and it was not generally known that there had been no fuch meeting of Citizens, till many months after the publication. They were the fubject of much controverfy in the London Papers, and, coinciding with the general sense of the nation, put a stop to the progrefs of the loyal addreffes. The Public Advertiser of London took notice of them in the following terms.

"The Refolutions of the Citizens of Edinburgh. appear to poffefs every mark of spirit and cool de termination requifite to be faithfully followed and adhered to in the prefent fituation of affairs. The intrepid

B 2

intrepid fentiments of independency which run through the whole, and the greatness of foul which is exhibited in every part of them, communicate to the understanding and imprefs the mind with a very favourable and advantageous idea of the difpaffionate wifdom of that meeting. This is the true manner of proceeding, and it is fincerely to be wifhed it was adopted all over Scotland. The Refolutions alluded to do not tafle of, nor bear any resemblance to, that species of fervile cringing, and unbecoming actions, which many of the Scots Reprefentatives practise so much at Court, to the infinite dishonour of their country."

THESE Refolutions were followed by the following fuppofed debate upon the fubject, which was then much agitated.

DEBATE

ON THE

1

LOYAL ADDRESS on the Change of MEN and MEASURES, and LORD SHELBURNE'S Plan of putting ARMS into the hands of the People of SCOTLAND.

THERE is a club of us who meet three times a week to liften to the beft reader of the newspaper who happens to be prefent. We perceived by a late paper, that the famous Loyal Address for what it is fuppofed his Majefty's new Ministers will do, is tra

velling

velling about in great distress for names, and that it has received a refpite of ten days, in hopes of finding fome friends. Our club happening to fit later last night than ufual, fell upon the fubject, and many of our members, fired with the love of liquor and their country, were led to take up the confideration of the propriety of fuch an address at this time, which brought on a very warm debate.

TOM BUCKSKIN, the breeches-maker, was the first who spoke. He infifted there could be no fuch Address really intended; for he had traced it from lying under a crucible in the Parliament-square, through all its ftages, to the place of its prefent lodgment with an obscure printer.-What, faid he, with great vehemence (for he is a violent and a vulgar man), could an addrefs really intended for a King be treated with such indignity, unless the royal water-closet wanted a fupply, and people knew not how to make a prefent of waste paper, without the aukward form of an addrefs. Befides, Sir, in one of our late papers, we were told, from the best authority, as was faid, that a Peer of the realm had figned this addrefs; yet, in the fucceeding paper, we were affured, that this information was a scandalous falfehood. Are thefe, Mr Prefes, the proceedings of gentlemen, acting for the good of their country? Sir, I fay, it must be fome vile imposition, and it is a fhame to this metropolis to allow it to be supposed to be real.

SAM.

SAM. BARK, who is one of the richest men a-` mongst us, next rofe. He spoke fluently,-for he can multiply words amazingly. He went over the whole political ground for many years past.

He said, if we had peace with America, although we should thereby lose half of the empire, and had incurred many millions of expence in her protection and defence, yet we would have raw hides much cheaper, and could supply the markets with leather in greater quantities, and at lower rates, than in our present curfed ruinous fituation. He hoped much from the change of men and measures, and therefore wifhed well to the addrefs. He faid it was a real addrefs; for though he had not figned the addrefs himfelf, yet two fine boys of his acquaintance, who were learning round text with Mr Mouldwarp, had figned it; and he advifed the whole club, who could write, to follow their example*.

He was followed by ALPIN MALPIN, lately arrived from the heights of Argyleshire, and settled in the neighbourhood as a fmall grocer. This fpeaker, not being much master of the English language, and the club as little mafters of the Gaelic, it is difficult to give an account of what he faid. He feem

ed,

* It was faid, that many fchool-boys had figned the addrefs, to make a fhow of names.

ed, however, to be in a violent paffion at the American war; for he had lost two fecond coufins, bra fallows, by it, who had never been mentioned in the London Gazette; and the late Ministry had never thought proper to make him a Commiffioner.He hoped better things from the new ones, and he would fign the addrefs; though it was his opinion, that it fhould have been written in Gaelic.

THE next that followed was WILL BARM, the brewer, a very great politician indeed! He went to the very root of the matter. He afferted roundly, that the laft Minifters were all a pack of clayheads! He spoke of the Roman hiftory,-contrasted the battles of Cannæ and Actium with that of Bunker's Hill and Rodney's late trifling advantage. He proceeded to prove, that America, although a part of the British empire, and protected at the expence of the Mother Country, and under the fame juft and equal laws, had no obligation to contribute any part towards the exigencies of Government, when she had arms in her hands, and a power to refift. He infifted, that the recent example of Ireland corroborated his argument, and, therefore, that the late Minifters, who had prefumed to preserve the empire entire under the fame laws, for the good of the whole, were fhort-fighted, wicked, profligate, abandoned, blundering blockheads. He then proceeded to show how matters fhould be conducted, and that, if he had the management, no

thing