not merely their own bufinefs, or that of the minifter, but the bufinefs of the

nation, and advancing its real interests. At the Commencement of a New Parliament, it must be highly proper for the members of it seriously to confider, in what manner they shall beft perform their duty to their conftituents, and by what means they may render the most effential fervices to their country. It may alfo reasonably be prefumed, that fuch of the members of it as are really well-difpofed, and who entered into parliament, not merely for their own private ends, but for the service of the public, will receive with candour, and with fuch attention as they may deserve, any hints that may appear to be calculated for the promotion of these great and important ends, from whatever quarter they may come.

In the tranfactions of the laft Parliament, the debates and proceedings relative to the appointment of a REGENCY, may be confidered as among the most important. But, in fpeaking on this fub ject, I must confefs, that I was one of those who were not fatisfied with the conduct of either party. It was too manifeft, that the object of the two great leading parties was much more the acquifition of power, than any real attachment to the welfare of the Nation, or to the principles of the Constitution. Indeed, in the course of the debates concerning the Regency, we heard much of the King's party, of the Queen's party, and of the Prince of Wales's party; but no man heard any thing of the party of the People. Nor were the juft claims of the People ever fairly, fully, and unequivo cally afferted, in either house, during the courfe of the debates upon the fubject.

OF

OF Mr. Pitt's queftions refpecting the fegency, which were voted by the parliament, that which afferted the right of par liament, as the representatives of the people, to appoint a regency, I entirely approved. The doctrine, that the prince of Wales was to fucceed of course to the regency, or that the parliament were to be confidered merely as a court in which his right was to be recognized, appeared to me to be totally adverse to all the great principles of the conftitution. But the appointment of a commiffion, under the great feal, to give the royal affent to a regency bill, I could view in no other light than as a miserable fiction, invented for the occafion, in order to avoid the appearance of making the executive power originate, where it ought ever to originate, from the authority of the people. The establishment also that was to have been made, in cafe a regency

had

had taken place, was to have been rendered, by the minister's plan, unneceffarily expensive to the nation, and was obviously calculated for the maintenance of his own influence and

power.

AMONG the cenfurable tranfactions of the last Parliament, the exorbitant extenfion of the EXCISE is entitled to particular

attention. It ought to have excited a greater national alarm, and a more vigorous and general opposition, than were produced by it. Without fpeaking of the act for excifing wine, which was justly liable to very strong objections, I fhall only obferve, that Mr. Pitt's Tobacco Bill was at least as pernicious, and as unconstitutional, as that which had nearly, and very defervedly, driven Walpole from the helm of power. It is impoffible for any impartial man to read this voluminous act, which confifts of more than one hundred and

VOL. III.

B

fixty

fixty claufes, and many of the regulations of which are highly oppreffive, without a full conviction, that it is an act which ought never to have taken place in a free country. The advocates for fuch laws as these are apt to urge, in their vindication, the neceffities of the ftate; but it does not follow, that because money is wanted by the government, that therefore little regard is to be paid to the principles of the constitution. No man, who will reflect coolly and impartially upon the fubject, can poffibly doubt, but that taxes, and efficient taxes, may be raised by other and more constitutional modes of taxation. But there will be an end to the liberties of England, if the people fuffer their rights to be repeatedly and wantonly invaded, under the pretence of raifing a revenue. Whatever may be the wants of government, it is the duty of the reprefentatives of the people to oppose