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a military government, and to provide a virtual indemnity for all the murders and capital outrages which might be committed by the barbarous hands of authority. From the impoffibility of profecuting in Great Britain, they ftrenuously maintained that this was holding out encouragement for all kinds of lawless violence. Colonel Barre's fpeech upon the occafion commanded the attention of the whole houfe, and clofed admirably, with "You have changed your ground. You are becoming the aggreffors, and offering the last of human outrages to the people of America, by fubjecting them in effect, to military execution. Instead of sending them the olive branch, you have fent the naked fword. By the olive branch, I mean a repeal of all the late laws, fruitless to you and oppreffive to them. Afk their aid in a conftitutional manner, and they will give it to the utmost of their ability. They never yet refused it, when properly required. Your journals bear the recorded acknowledgments of the zeal with which they have contributed to the general neceffities of the ftate. What madness is it that prompts you to attempt obtaining that by force, which you may more certainly procure by requifition. They may be flattered into any thing, but they are too much like yourselves to be driven. Have fome indulgence for your own likeness; refpect their fturdy English virtue; retract your odious exertions of authority; and remember that the first step toward making them contribute to your wants, is to reconcile them to your government."

The publications of the day quote an old member, rarely in oppofition, as having clofed his fpeech with these remarkable words "I will now take my leave of

the whole plan. You will commence your ruin from this day. I am forry to say, that not only the house X has fallen into this error, but the people approve of the measure. The people, I am forry to fay it, are misled. But a fhort time will prove the evil tendency of this bill. If ever there was a nation running headlong into ruin it is this." It is much questioned by many whether the member did not mistake in faying-the people. The fame natives of America, who petitioned against May the Boston port-bill, renewed their endeavours by a petition against these two bills. It was pointed with an uncommon energy and spirit; and strongly indicated the effects that these bills would produce in the place where they were intended to operate. It was admitted to lie on the table, and had no other notice taken of it.

Both bills were opposed in the house of lords, and the minority entered on each a very strong proteft. On both however in each houfe, the number of the minority continued all along very low and inadequate. Mr. Bollan applied for a hearing in the house of lords upon the last bill, but was refused. He has ftood up in defence of the rights and liberties of the Maffachusetts when no other of the numerous advocates of the colonies, out of parliament, have appeared to check the torrent of the most grievous proceedings against them, in like manner, by their learning and fortitude.

Upon the first of the two bills, the protesting lords Richmond, Portland, Abingdon, King, Effingham, Ponsonby, Rockingham, Abergavenny, Leinster, Craven, and Fitzwilliam, diffented among other reasons, "because the definitive legal offence, by which a forfeiture of the charter is incurred, has not been clearly stated and fully proved; A a 2 neither

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neither has notice of this.adverfe proceeding been given to the parties affected; neither have they been heard in their own defence becaufe all the judges are to be nominated, not by the crown, but by the governor; and all, except the judges of the fuperior court, are to be removable at his pleafure, and exprefsly without the consent of that very council, which is to be nominated by the king; the fheriff is made changeable by the governor and council, as often and for fuch purpofes as they fhall think expedient, whereby the governor and council are intrusted with powers, with which the British conftitution has not trufted his majefty and privy council, and have the means of returning such a jury in each particular caufe, as may beft fuit with the gratification of their paffions and interests, so that the lives and properties of the fubject are put into their hands without control." The protesting lords took occafion to mention concerning the Bofton port-act, " that, unexampled on the records of parliament, it had been entered on the journals of the house as voted, nemine diffentiente, and had been ftated in the debate of the day, to have been fent to the colonies, as paffed without a-divifion in either house, and therefore as conveying the uncontroverted univerfal fenfe of the nation: and that an unfair advantage had been taken, on the final queftion for paffing the penal bill, of the abfence of thofe lords, who had debated it for feveral hours, and ftrongly diffented from it on the fecond reading, the period on which it is moft ufual to debate the -principle of a bill."

-On the fécond' bill, the 'protesting lords Richmond, ·Fitzwilliam, · Ponsonby, Rockingham, Portland, Craven, Leinster, and Minehefter, diffented among other reasons, because the bill amounts to a declaration, that the

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houfe knows no means of retaining the colonies in, due obedience, but by an army rendered independent of the ordinary course of law in the place where, they are employed; because the bill feems to be one of the many experiments toward an introduction of effential innovations into the government of the empire." They faid "The authority given by this bill to compel the tranf portation from America to Great Britain, of any number of witneffes at the pleafure of the parties profecuting and profecuted, without any regard to their age, fex, health, circumftances, bufinefs or duties, feems to us fo extravagant in its principle, and fo impracticable in its execution, as to confirm us further in our opinion of the fpirit, which animates the whole fyftem, of the prefent American regulations."

His majefty gave his affent to both bills.

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The feffion was drawing near to the ufual time of recefs, and the greater number of the members were retired into the country. In this fituation a bill was brought into the house of lords, "For making morę effectual provision for the government of the province of Quebec in North America." It paffed through that house with little if any obfervation. When it came down to the house of commons, it met with a very different reception. The principal objects of the bill were, to ascertain the limits of the province, which were extended far beyond what were fettled as fuch by the king's proclamation of 1763-to form a legislative council for all the affairs of the province, except taxation, which council was to be appointed by the crown, and the office to be held during pleafure, and his majesty's Canadian Roman Catholic fubjects were to be entitled

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to a place in it-to establish the French laws and a trial without jury in civil cafes, and the English laws, with trial by jury in criminal-and to fecure to the Roman Catholic clergy, except the regulars, the legal enjoyment of their eftates, and of their tythes from all who were of their own religion. The minority infifted, that the Proteftant religion by this establishment enjoyed at best no more than a toleration. "The popish clergy," they faid, "have a legal parliamentary right to maintenance, the protestant clergy are left to the king's discretion. Why are not both put at least on an equal footing, and a legal fupport provided for both?" The minority was uncommonly fmall; nevertheless, the bill produced much greater uneafinefs and difcontent out of doors than any of thofe for punishing the old colonies. The prefent policy of it is, among other things, to gain, through the influence of the priests, the affiftance of the laity in fubjugating the other provinces.

It received the royal affent, when his majesty went to the house at the clofe of the feffion; the business of which being ended, the ministry entertained the most fanguine expectations, that the fubmiffion throughout America would be immediate, and that complete obedience and tranquillity would be fecured. The fpeech from the throne expreffed fimilar fentiments. The triumphs and mutual congratulations of all who have fupported the ministerial plan, within doors and without, are unusually great. These may be owing, not a little, to the affurances that governor Hutchinson has repeatedly given to many, that if the parliament would but act with refolution, and adopt fpirited measures, a fpeedy fubmif, fion would take place without any call for fighting.

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