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GEORGIA GAZETTE.
Number 130.
B (Continuedfrom our las.)
HEN an assembly of members thus chosen
are convened, every different interest in
the Rate will have its due notice and
weight. The general, the greatest in
terest of the whole nation, ought, no
doubt, to be the grand point to which
.the principal aim of the whole aflembly
of reprcfentatives Ihould be directed ;
though it ihould interfere in fome measure with the par
tial interest of particular persons, because, though such
persons ihould labour under fome accidental inconvenicn
cies for the general good, yet the benefit they would re
ceive by their relation to the whole community would o
ycrbalance the inconveniencies they would Aiffer in those in
stances : Here, it may be proper to note, that where there
|s an entire inconsistency of interclls, so that the benefit of
pne tnuft neceflarily be in the fame degree hurtful to the o
ther; then these two interefls never can unite in the fame
government; their connexion ihould be broken off, the
jarring interest ihould be removed, or new modeled into har
mony and consistency with the red; for a kingdom divided
againfl itfelf cannot Hand. The great fundamental prin
ciples of a government ihould be common to all ‘its parts
and members, else the whole will be endangered. If then
the interest of the mother country and her colonies cannot
be made to coincide, (which 1 verily believe they may) if
the fame conilitution mav not take place in both, (as it cer
tainly ought to do) if the welfare of the mother country
neceflarily requires a facrifice of the mod valuable natural
rights of the colonies—their right of making their own laws
snd disposing of ?heir own property by representatives of their
own choosing; iffuch is really the case between Great-Bri
tafn and her colonies, then the connection between them
ought toceafe—and fooncr or later it mud inevitably cease,
and perhaps end in the total ruin of one or both of them :
The Englilh government cannot long ail towards a part of
its dominions upon principles diametrically opposite to
its own, without losing itfelf in the flaverv it would impose
upon the colouies, or learning them to throw it off, and as
sert that freedom that was dented them by those who had no
better a right to it than themselves.
I hope by this time it is evident to all my readers, that
from the original design of a representative, and the only
meaning the name can bear, no person can possibly be such
a one, or by any thieg that he can do, bind others, accord
ing to reason and common sense, to admit his aclions as their
own, uolefs they freely chufe him to the office, ‘this alone can
jn reason make his a&ions theirs; and if without this others
take upon them to chufe representatives for those who have
no choice themselves, it is a ineer mockery and insult, and
as gross a vio’ation of their rights, as it would be to dispose
of their persons and property by mccr force, without any
foim of law at all. This absurdity (of our being represent
ed in parliament) is so glaring, that it is almost an affront
to common sense to use arguments to expose it; and yet it
ha, been so much infilled upon, that it seems as if the free
use of common sense was to be prohibited, as well as our o
ther common rights. I have dwelt so long upon this point,
not because long arguments were necessary, but rather to
rouse attention by repeating, and placing the fame argu
ments in different lights; and I Hull dose my observations
upon it with the following inference. If persons here may
be represented in England without their own choice; then
by parity of reason, persons there may be represented here
in the fame manner. The laws passed in the colonies, af
ter obtaining the royal afient, are of equal force with ads ot
parliament; so that ive have as really a legislative power
is the people in England; and therefore, if wc were to
make ads of affcmhly -to levy taxes upon the people of Eng
land, and obtain the royal aflent to them, can any man tell
why thole a& Ihould not be as binding upon the people ot
THURSDAY, September 26, 1765,
England, as their ads are upon us f For my part I can fed
no difference in the cases—there is indeed a difference in thl
power to enforce the ads—they can oppress us with impu T
mty, but we are not able to return the compliment. Iffuch
an imposition would appear abominable to the people iit
England, let them be as tender of our right**, as they would
with us to be of theirs, if we had power to impose taxes up
on them by force, as they now have upon us—and such 4
time may poflibly come in future ages, as the Englilh domU
nions in America are much more extensive than in Europe,
they will in a few ages be much more populous, and may
become more powerful; and if the king, fliould pass an act
made in the colonies, for taxing the people in Great-pri*
tain, could they make any objedion to it, but what is e
qually strong their taxing the colonies; but the vi
olation of the Englilh conilitution is man|fefl ip both ca|es.
Having l think fufficiently (hewn that the colonies are qo(
represented in the Englilh parliament, it follows of course,
that they cannot legally be taxed there. This confequencq
is inevitable, the advocates for the tax themfelve* have id
the strongest cxprelfions allowed it. They ground their right
of taxing entirely upon the reality of our being rtprtfcnt*
ed in parliament; and since it appears, that wc rfre not ref
presented, they mult allow we can not be legally taxed bp*
on any pretence whatsoever.—Even tho* it fliould atfpta&
that there are several towns, corporations, and bodies pf
people in similar circum(lances in Eng!and.—For that would
only (hew, that fome of the people in England* as well ai
those in America, were injured and oppressed; but would
(hew no fort of right for the oppreflion. It would lhe*f
that those places ought tojqn with the Americans In re
monstrances to obtain redress pf grievances, Indeed it ha?
long been the complaint of the moft judicious people in Eng
land, as the greatell misfortune to the nation, that the peo
ple in England are so unequally represented; fome largf
towns and corporations fend none, or but few to represent
them, while several infignificant places, of only a few in*
digent persons, whose chief support is the sale of their votes,
fend many members of parliament, to vote according to thp
direction of the minillry, who enable them to purchale their
feats with the nation's money, given for very different
purposes.
These are evils that are two notorious to escape
observation, and too atrocious to be palliated arp
not these crying grievances redrefled ? The reason is plaun
—they afford the greatest opportunities fer bribery and cor
ruption—by enabling proper tools with the nation's money,
to purchafc feats in parliament, and by bribing others with
places and pensions, a corrupt administration can command
a majority in the houle of commons,, that arc entirely at
their command, and will pass what laws they please: so that
they can command the nation’s money, to bribe persons to
make laws or its dcftruCtion! And are they not fatisfied with
the money that may be thus raised at home without an open
violation of the conilitution, by taking advantage of the
defedts that time and change of circum (lances has occafioncd
in the rules or forms of choosing reprcfentatives lor parlia
ment! Mull the rapacious fehemes be extended to these re
mote regions of his Majesty’s dominions, and have their foun
dation on the rums of the Englilh conilitution in America!
And in this land of liberty, (for so it was our glory to
call it) where no honest man need to be afraid to exprefc
the di&atcs of his heart before the greatest man upon earth,
are there really men to be found so insensible to (name, us p
before the awful tribunal of reason, to mention the hard-
Ihips, which thro* their practices, lome places in England
arc obliged to bear without redress, as precedents for impos
ing Hill greater hardfoips and wrongs upon America !
Having thus (hewn that if many place-, and persons in Eng.
land, interested in the business of parliament have yet n<r
share in the choice of its members, that it mull be a hardlhip
upon them, and calls loudly foraredreh, svhtch they ought