Project, for the future. But, in my Opinion, it is as weak as it is wicked. It looks as if He was refolved to brave Mankind, and took Delight in Storms of State, though He hath given us ample Proof that He wants Courage to weather them. A wife Man, who had been defeated in this Manner, would certainly have permitted the Paffions of the People to grow cool, before He began to infult and menace Them with the Revival of the fame Scheme, which had fo lately thrown Them into a Flame. But there is fomething fo extremely wrong-headed in Men drunk with Power, that we cannot wonder at any Extravagances in their Conduct, however wicked and injudicious, when They are fpurr'd on by Difappointment and Revenge.

I was led into thefe Thoughts by fome Papers, lately publish'd, in Behalf of Excifes, even fince the Demolition of that execrable Project; particularly one, intitled An Englishman's Thoughts on the late Danger of the Conftitution, printed in the Daily Journal of Friday the 27th of laft Month. I was fomewhat furprised to fee this Paper made the Vehicle of ministerial Scandal, when there are fo many others, which have long been employ'd in that honourable Drudgery; but I fuppofe it was ftolen in here, in Hopes of concealing its Parent, as well as to give it a little better Currency, and prevent that ignominious Fate, which would have probably attended it in the Daily Courant.

I shall not trouble the Reader with any Anfwer to those trite Arguments, in Defence of Excifes, which have been so often confuted already; but confine my felf to that Part, which relates to the Methods employ'd to oppofe the late Bill, for extending Excifes.

"If it fhall ever happen (fays this worthy Englishman) that publick Measures are influenced and di"rected by any Confideration, but the Reason of Things and the Good of the Community; the Hap"pinefs, the Safety of a free People, and the very Being of a well-ballanced Conftitution are at an End.

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To

To This I readily give my Confent; and am glad to find a minifterial Writer driven to the Neceffity of pleading for the Freedom and Independency of Parliaments; which the Gentlemen of that Order have al-ways been fo unwilling to acknowledge, on other Occafions. I hope They will not, for the future, throw out any indecent Reflections on a Bill, for preventing unwarrantable Practices in that auguft Affembly, which may biafs Them to act against the Reafon of Things and the Good of the Community; for I must beg Leave to put Them in Mind, that the fecret Influence of a Bribe, or a Penfion, is of infinitely more dangerous Confequence to the Freedom of Parliaments and the very Being of our Confitution, than the open Petitions, or Inftructions of the People to their Representatives against a Design, which They apprehended to be deftructive of their Trade and Liberties. However uncommon thefe Methods, may have been, for feveral Years past, (as this Writer is pleafed to obferve) they are fully warranted by the fundamental Laws of our Government, as well as the frequent Practice of our Forefathers; and I hope will be revived, in the fame prudent and vigorous Manner, upon all extraordinary Oc

cafions.

But We are told "that the People are too ignorant "of the general State of Affairs, to be intrufted with "the important Power of governing the Government. "Such Ignorance (fays this Gentleman) is unavoid"able, unless Minifters of State are to communicatė

their Dispatches to the World, and our Enemies are, "at all Times, to be acquainted with every Step We "defign against Them."Whatever Force there might be in this Argument, as to foreign Affairs, in Time of War, it is nothing to the Purpose at prefent, when' We are at perfect Peace; efpecially in a Difpute, concerning a Point of domeftick Government, which the Body of the People muft neceffarily underftand better than any Minifter of State whatfoever.

A

As to their attending the House of Commons with a Petition in a tumultuous Manner, (upon which this Gentleman expatiates with his ufual Volubility) I can appeal to every impartial By-ftander, whether fo large a Concourfe of People did ever behave with more Decency, or Regard to the Dignity of the Place, where They were affembled. I fpeak This of the Merchants and Traders in general; who difmifs'd their Servants, if I am rightly inform'd, as foon as They got out of their Coaches, that They might commit no Disorders, or Irregularities, as Servants are fometimes apt to do, without the leaft Encouragement from their Mafters. Nay, They had fo particular a Regard to the Laws, in this Cafe, that They did not attend the Sheriffs with their Petition; but went fometime afterwards, and appear'd only in the Court of Requefts, and the adjoining Coffee Houses, to folicit against the Bill, in a peaceable Manner, as They had an undoubted Right to do, and as is conftantly practifed by every Body of Men, whofe particular Interefts are concern'd in any Bill, depending in Parliament.

If there happen'd to be any little Infult, or Diforder, in the Evening of that Day, on which the Bill was put off; it ought to be imputed to that Exuberance of Joy, which is apt to break out on fuch Oc.. cafions, and cannot be prevented in a large Multitude; but as it was never pretended that the Merchants gave the leaft Encouragement to any fuch Outrage, They are not answerable for it; and it is mean and ungenerous to reproach Them, on that Account.

If the fame Spirit hath discover'd itself through all Parts of the Kingdom, in Bonfires, Illuminations, drinking Healths, and treating the Projector with Contempt in Effigie; it is no more than He might reafonably expect, and ought to be look'd upon as a very moderate Satisfaction for his Endeavours to oppress Them in Reality.

I must therefore infift upon it, that no bad Confequences have attended, or are likely to attend, these publick Manifestations of the Senfe of the People, or of their Joy upon the Succefs. This is fuch an Influence, as the Nature of our Constitution requires that the Reprefented fhould have over their Representatives; and, as it works above-board and by Day-light, can have no ill Effects; for a whole trading People can never be fupposed to mistake their true Intereft, in Points of Trade; and if any particular Body of Men fhould endeavour to influence the Legislature in their own Intereft, to the Prejudice of the Nation in general, They would be immediately oppofed and defeated by Thofe, who found themselves affected by their Schemes.

But This is widely different from the Cafe of Corruption, which operates in fecret, faps the very Foundations of Government, and is calculated, like a Mine, to blow up the Conftitution, before the People are aware of their Danger. It hath an immediate Tendency to a Sort of legal Tyranny, and to plague us, (as the fage Mrs. Osborne observes, in her laft Paper) with ACTS OF POWER turn'd into ACTS OF PARLIA MENT.

We are told, indeed, by this worthy Englishman, who appears in the Daily Journal, "that the wifer "and better Part of the Kingdom see no Reason for "Exultation; meerly because an honest Attempt to prevent notorious Frauds hath not been attended "with Success; nor any other proposed in its Room.

I fhould be glad to know where thefe wife and good Men live, and mortify Themfelves in private for the Mifcarriage of fuch an honest Attempt. It is certain that They have not yet thought fit to discover Themfelves as a Party; and if They fhould ever come to fuch a Refolution, I believe They would appear to confift chiefly of Projectors, Penfioners and Excifemen. I cannot add even Placemen to the Number; for it is notorious, that feveral Gentlemen have been obliged

to

to refign fome of the beft Employments in the Kingdom, meerly because They were fo very fhort-fighted as not to discover the Honefty of that Attempt.

Before I difmifs this Paffage, I must beg Leave to be fomewhat furprized at the latter Part of it; where our Englishman afferts that no other Method hath been propofed, to prevent notorious Frauds; for, unless I am very much mistaken, a Motion was made in the Houfe of Commons for a Committee, to enquire into the Frauds of the Cuftoms, feveral Days before this Paper was publish'd. As this Motion arofe from those Gentlemen, who had vigorously oppofed the Excife Scheme, They have thoroughly purged Themfelves from the Imputation of being the Patrons of Fraud; and though this Enquiry is not fallen to their Lot, We may affure ourfelves that the Bufinefs will be effectually done by Thofe, who are chofen for that Purpose. It is certainly the Intereft of Gentlemen, who have the Honour to be concern'd in the Difpofition of the Revenue, to take Care that no Frauds be committed in the Collection of it; nor will They fuffer any to go unexamined, or unpunish'd. It does not become a private Man to point out where the chief Grievance lies, or to inftruct Perfons of fuch fuperior Abilities and Stations; who will, no Doubt, go to the Bottom of the Evil, and apply proper Remedies to it. I fhall therefore content myself with recommending an Obfervation of the late Lord Shaftsbury to their Thoughts at this Time.

* "I know very well, fays He, that many Servi"ces to the Publick are done meerly for the Sake of a "Gratuity; and that Informers, in particular, are to "be taken Care of, and fometimes made Penfioners of "State. But I muft beg Pardon for the particular "Thoughts I may have of these Gentlemen's Merit; " and I fhall never beftow my Efteem on any other "than the voluntary Discoverers of Villany, and hearty Profecutors

* Vol. 1. p, 126.

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