in arbitrary Governments, because their Measures muft always be oppreffive; but fuch a Poft being inconfiftent with the Nature of a free Government, the Exercife of it must be attended with farther Difficulties and Oppofition to Thofe, who poffefs it. Their Ambition and Want of Moderation in amaffing Wealth foon render Them the Objects of general Hatred. Againft this popular Odium the Prince's Favour is their only Protection. The Court is a Kind of Sanctuary to Them; and though They may be capable of advising the best Measures, their Crimes put Them under the Neceffity of complying with the worst, if they are found expedient. As They are attack'd by the People, and fupported by the Prince, They naturally conclude that They cannot leffen the Power of the former, nor increafe That of the latter too much; from whence it hath sometimes come to pafs that a blundering, odious Minifter hath proved the Inftrument of arbitrary Power; and, what is still more strange, under a Prince, who had no Design to enflave his People; for fuch a Prince may be confcious to Himfelf that He intends no ill Ufe of his Power; but there is hardly any Prince fo very felf-denying as to decline Power, which is play'd into his Hands. Befides, Power is never ftationary, but either progreffive or retrogade; and thus it hath frequently happen'd that a good Prince hath arrived at fuch a Pitch of Power, as was never hoped for by Himself, nor apprehended by the People.

How far This might have been our Cafe, by the Execution of the late Scheme, let the Reader determine. In natural Constitutions there is a Difference between Death and a Difeafe. God forbid I fhould say that our Liberties are deftroy'd, as the Confiderer represents Me! May they long be preferved, under our prefent moft gracious Sovereign, and his Family! But furely an honeft Zeal for fecuring this Bleffing, invaluable in itself, and, if once lost, I am afraid irrecoverable, does VOL. XI. A a

not

not deferve that opprobrious Language and hard Treatment, which it meets with every Day. I muft likewife put the Author in Mind that the outward Form of a Government may be preferved, when the Life is gone; and if there fhould be any Grumblers in fuch a State, I doubt not They would be answer'd in the Words of our Author; is not the Nation, in every Infance, govern'd by Law; the Property of the meanest Subject fecured from all Encroachments; Liberty, both civil and religious, preferved without any Violation?— I believe it will be hard to prove that Tiberius ever broke any Law, in his publick Acts. Indeed, why fhould He; when He had a Senate, that made and pafs'd Sentences by Law, according to his Pleafure ? This is not our Cafe at prefent, and I hope never will; but I must infift upon it that the Author's Way of Reasoning and his Patron's Scheines have a direct Tendency to it. To fpeak impartially and plainly, our Conftitution feems to be neither in perfect Health, nor under an incurable Disease; and if Thofe, who tend it either in or out of Parliament, would be perfuaded of a moft certain Truth, that the private Intereft of Themfelves and their Pofterity is neceffarily and infeparably connected with the publick Intereft, all Things would prefently go well.

It is farther infinuated, that nobody opposed this bopeful Project but Jacobites and Enemies to the Proteftant Succeffion.I am forry to hear it with all my Heart; for if This is really the Cafe, the Pretender must have a prodigious Party indeed; and We should be obliged (as Mrs. Osborne obferves) to supply the Want of NATURAL STRENGTH, with GREAT ART. But, I thank God, this Infinuation is abfolutely groundless. Every Body knows that the Bill was oppofed by the trucft Friends of Liberty, and by Men of all Denominations, except the PAPISTS; who might naturally wifh it Succefs as a Scheme, which tended to alienate the Affections

fections of the People from his prefent Majesty, and to pave the Way for an Event, which I dread to name.

The laft Point to be confider'd is; whether the Nation is obliged to the Projector for his fingular Modefty, in dropping the Bill; and whether it is now actually laid afide, or only fufpended till a more convenient Opportunity of pushing it into Execution.

In the first Place, it is neceffary to confider the Progrels of this Affair from its firft Conception to the prefent Time; for I must observe that it was no fudden Expedient, accidentally ftarted to fupply the current Services of the Government, instead of a Land-Tax, as the Projector and his Advocates pretend; but a deliberate, fettled Scheme, which hath been laid many Years, and was to be executed by Degrees, as Opportunities offer'd, and the Nation could be drawn into it. About ten Years ago, the Projector gain'd a confiderable Step, by the Excife on Coffee, Tea and Chocolate. Some Time after This, a notable Treatife was publifh'd, intitled * an Efay on the publick Debts of this Kingdom, &c. which was particularly patronized by the Pr jector, and contain'd an elaborate Recommendation of the fame Scheme. Nay, it is even faid that the Perfon, who wrote this Piece, had the peculiar Honour of drawing up the late Bill, and hath received fome other Marks of Favour for his Services to the Publick. In the Year 1730, the Excife upon Salt was revived, under the Pretence of taking off one Shilling in the Pound on Land; and the Projector declared, at the fame Time, that if Gentlemen would come into Some proper Regulations in the Manner of collecting the publick Revenues, He would undertake to cafe Them of the other Shilling. This was prefently underflood to mean an Excife; which alarm'd the City of London and the whole Nation to fuch a Degree, that They petition'd A a 2

*See the Craftsman. Numb, 343.

their

their Reprefentatives, in the moft earnest Manner, to oppofe any fuch Defign, and took all other prudent Methods to defeat it, before the Parliament met laft Year. Yet ftill the Projector perfifted in his Scheme, against the Senfe of the whole Nation, and the Advice of his beft Friends. The dreadful Apprehenfions of the People, which fufficiently manifested themselves upon this Occafion, were fo far from foftening his Mind, or altering his Purpose, that they feem'd to add new Vigour to his Refolutions, and determine Him not to give Way. At laft, indeed, when his boasted Majority was dwindled down to Sixteen from Sixtyone, He began to look about Him, and found it necessary to prevent another Divifion, if poffible. He therefore moved to adjourn the fecond Reading of the Bill for a Month; but fome Gentlemen, who were not altogether fatisfy'd with this Expedient, propofed a longer Day, and fo the Matter ended laft Seffion.

It is not my Business to dispute the Regularity of bis Conduct, upon this Occafion; but I cannot fee any peculiar Modefty, or great Merit in it; for though his Advocates are pleased to declaim very floridly upon it, as an Inftance of his tender Regard for the Inclinations, and even the Prejudices of the People; there are other Perfons as fagacious as They, who believe no fuch Thing; but are fully convinced that his Complyance was owing to a very strong Probability, nay almost a Certainty, that if the Bill had been pufh'd any farther, it would have been thrown out in fuch a Manner as to preclude the Revival of it; whereas, by adjourning the Order of the Day, the Bill is only fufpended for a Time, and may be refumed upon fome other Occafion.

That this was the Projector's Senfe of the Matter, appear'd from his own Mouth; for at the fame Time that He moved for adjourning the farther Confideration of the Bill to a long Day, He expatiated very largely on

the

the Advantages of it, and plainly intimated that He chofe this Method, in order to prevent its being intirely rejected.

The fame, View is farther evident from the Writings of his Advocates, ever fince; and is even exprefly acknowledged by Two of Them. One, *who feems to be a very pretty Writer, extolls the Wisdom of this Expedient in the following Terms.

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"The Circumftance therefore of fufpending it, I have "always look'd upon as one of the most lively Expe"dients, that could have been imagined. In the first "Place, it was a Proof, as hath been faid before, of "the fincere Concern of the Miniftry for the Inclinations of the People. Secondly, it prevented the Triumphs of the Oppofition, in SETTING IT INTIRELY ASIDE. And thirdly, it left a Door fill open for the REVIVAL OF THE SCHEME, when "Party-Spleen and felf-interested Views are better re"conciled to the publick Good, and perhaps for the "Bills themfelves to be more fuccefsfully adapted to the Business of the State, and the Humour of the "Nation,

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The other Writer, having likewife paid his Compliments to the Scheme, proceeds in thefe remarkable Words.- "+Therefore I think the Miniftry inex"cufeable for giving up to Noife and Faction a Project, fo vifibly beneficial to the Publick; but I hope that the Defign is not ABSOLUTELY LAID ASIDE, and that the Execution of it only is

ર

Here are two plain Declarations without any Di'guife, fince the Bill was dropt, that there is a Design of bringing it on again, whenever á favourable Conjunc

A a 3

'ture

* See an Examination of the Conduct of the Ministry, &c, p. 23. The Graftfman, Numb. 360.

A Letter to William Pulteney, Efq; &c. p. 13,