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fome refpect or degree: and, notwithstanding his zeal for the dignity of parliament, he candidly concludes with the old adage:

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Salus populi fuprema lex efto.

Art. 15. The Crifis; or, a full Defence of the Colonies;-in which it is inconteflibly proved that the British Conftitution has been flagrantly violated in the late Stamp-act, and rendered indifputably evident, that the Mother-country cannot lay an arbitrary Tax upon the Americans, without deftroying the Effence of her own Liberties. 8vo. Griffin. IS.

To prove that the British conftitution has been flagrantly violated in the Stamp act, this Writer, among other arguments, infifts, in oppofition to fome advocates for that act, that our colonies are not at all virtually reprefented in the British parliament; and it must be owned he does not reafon ill on this fubject. But there is a degree of virulence in his manner, and fuch an appearance of a difpofition to cavil at every thing which has been urged on the other fide of the question, that we are afraid what he has to offer in defence of the Colonists, will be little regarded by the candid and dispaffionate Reader.

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Art. 16. A Letter to the Gentlemen of the Committee of London Merchants, trading to North-America: fhewing in what manner the trade and Manufactures of Britain may be affected by fome late Reftrictions on the American Commerce, and by the Act for the Stamp-Duty, &c. &c. 8vo. 6d. Richardfon and Urquhart. This Writer alfo denies the virtual reprefentation, and offers feveral arguments in favor of the Colonies, in common with their other advocates. He has likewife fome reflections tending to fhew how far the freedom and liberty of Britain herfelf may poffibly be concerned in the prefervation of the rights of the provinces; and in what manner those rights appear to be abridged by that ftatute. He is a temperate, decent reafoner; but has ftruck out nothing that feems likely to distinguish his performance, in the croud of publications that have appeared in this great national controversy.

Art. 17. The Adventure of a Bale of Goods from America, in conSequence of the Stamp Act. 8vo. 6d. Almon.

A ftrange attempt at humour. What the Author would be at, is best known to himself; and, no doubt, will ever remain fo.

Art. 18. Confiderations relative to the North American Colonies. 8vo. I S. Kent.

Among the feveral advocates for the Colonies, who have distinguished themselves by their abilities for an adequate difcuffion of the important fubjects which have lately been agitated, in the difpute between the Mother-country and her Children, few are more entitled to the respectful attention of the public, than the prefent very fenfible and judicious con. fiderer. He enters, with great coolness, and masterly penetration, into the natural connexion and mutual intereft by which this country, as a Parent state, is united to its Colonies; traces the rife and progress of Our fettlements, to their prefent refpe&table fituation; and fhews the natural

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tural dependence they have, and muft ftill wish to have, on Us, in whom their hopes of protection center; and to whom they chearfully bring all the produce of their labour and commerce they can fpare, to exchange for our manufactures; an exchange which gives bread to thousands, fiches to many, and adds vaft ftrength to the ftate. If, fays our Author, we confider them in this point of view, and in fuch a point they have ever been confidered, by all who knew any thing of America, till the prefent unhappy period, it admits not of a doubt, what kind of regard is due to the Americans, or what manner of treatment it is the intereft of Britain to exercise towards them.?

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The ingenious writer goes on to fhew the inestimable value of our Colonies, not only as they are the fource of our riches, but alfo as being the foundation of very great additional confequence to this country, in the eyes of our neighbours. The maritime powers, fays he, well know this; they fee, they feel our growing influence; and that if we encou rage and protect our Colonies, as we have done, the enemies of Britain have every thing to dread, its friends have every thing to hope from the wife management of the power we poffefs: how easily are fleets or armies re. cruited for an American or Weft Indian expedition, from two millions of people juft upon the fpot? with what expedition and fecrecy can an armament be fitted out, of great ftrength, from an American Port, to annoy the West India fettlements of those who may ever think it their intereft to quarrel with us? But this power may be deemed to be yet in its infancy; its growth indeed is rapid, and wifdom is requifite to guide its efficacy to proper ends: this power is, however, British, and will choofe to be fubfervient to the intereft of the parent, if the connection is maintained as it ought to be.

But, he proceeds, fhould this happy connection be ever shaken, of weakened by any means; fhould the luft of dominion at home, or fhould avarice banish the remembrance, that the Americans are fons, and con ceive a defign to enflave and fetter a free people, all these glorious prof. pects vanish as a dream. If they prove refractory, and fubmit unwillingly to restraints, which they think fubverfive of their liberties, and should we aim by force, to bring them to our terms, is not the house indeed divided against itself, the kingdom fplit? and inftead of poffeffing a force capable of fupporting ourfelves and confederates, againit all human oppofition, and of awing into good behaviour thofe who envy our happiness and good fortune; we leffen our influence in proportion to the exertion of our ftrength, and waste our force in cutting the veins that supply vitality and vigour, and tearing off thofe finews on which depend the exertions of our power.?

After fpeaking in general terms of the powerful efforts made by our North. American brethren, in defence of the common intereft, both in peace and war, he makes this juft reflection. Under Providence, it folely depends upon ourselves, whether this power fhall increase or dimia hith; whether it fhall be for us, or against us, Wife and gentle methods will ever ftrengthen this union, will encourage population, cultiva tion, commerce, whilft the produce of all centers in Britain. Harth and ungracious means will as neceffarily weaken the union, will make them defirous of forgetting that they are of English defcent, will leffen their duty and allegiance, and teach them to think hardly of a country, to which they indeed owe their original, but which they find difpofed to dilinherit them, and to deny them the privileges of their birthright.

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Such means will infallibly kindle jeloufies, fpread difcontent and difaffection, and put a stop to industry, and to every virtuous aim or emulation.

People under fuch circumstances, impatiently look forward to that independency, which their fituation favours; and this the more eagerly, in proportion to the prejudices they have early imbibed againft a government they think oppreffive; they grudge to contribute to the support of a ftate that threatens to abridge their liberties; difcontent prompts them to enquire by what means they can most fafely give vent to their re venge. They make a virtue of their neceffities, grow frugal, either make a fhift without, or fupply by their own industry, many articles of commerce, the product of the Mother Country; trade then begins to languifh at home: the merchants will firft feel the effects of this decay, the manufacturers fuffer next, but without knowing the cause. The landed interest then finds itself embarraffed; yet how few are able to trace up the cause of this general diftrefs? the remoteft parts of this kingdom already feel, and will yet feel more dreadfully, the fatal effects fo fuch an unhappy conduct,

Far from charging the Authors of thefe unhappy effects, with a defign of oppreffing the Americans, I am only recounting the effects enfuing from their conduct. That the Americans think themselves oppreffed, or defigned to be oppreffed, is moft certain; witness the univerfal oppofition to the late intended regulations on that continent.

Let us view what muft happen amongst them on this occafion: children and youth are difpofed early to imbibe the language and fentiments of their parents: they remember, during their lives, and are often ruled by, the paffionate dictates of their fore-fathers. What a profpect this for Britain? one illadvised, unneceffary act, has imbittered the minds of almoft all the inhabitants of America. The youth will receive the tincture, and it is needlefs to expatiate on the effects. An age will not expunge the unhappy impreffions.

Servabit odorem

Tefta diu.

He, who by wrong measures, and imprudent counfels, alienates the affections of the people from their fovereign, is the greatest enemy to the happiness of the king, and the profperity of his fubjects: and the more univerfal the difaffection, and the more remote the fabject from Better information, the greater is the detriment. It is laying a fase foundation for independancy in the Colonies; and involving both them and the parent in difcontent and rain,

Thousands of manufacturers are already turned out of employ; maltitudes foon must follow. The landed interell muff then fupport sem, or they muff perifh. Thus in hopes to fave a few pence in the pound, at the expence of America, have we faddled ourselves with an aliend Poor's rate of ten times the amount, and ruined our commerce, f wifer measurers bring it back to its former channel.

* Should any ambitious neighbouring power embrace the prefear var ture to revenge their paft difgraces, can we be fare that the Americans w immediately forget their animofities against us, and jon » ca suger for r zeal in our afflance? to aft againft as they never a 61) oppselina, grievous oppreffion, convinces them, that they are in unger brouet the offspring of Britain, and have no longer to expoft me nasce of the ancestors, Brin freedom, and a Brich King for their w

He now proceeds to confider the nature & the afatigatioE Y

vernment in our American fettlements; the general tenor of their char ters; and the measure of their fabordination to parliamentary jurifdice tion. This, in courfe, brings him to the Stamp act; which he totally condemns, with the authority of one who appears to be well acquainted with the propriety and natural tendency of that act, if fuffered to operate as intended, by those who schemed and promoted it. He then comes to reflect on the grand question which muft, in confequence, arise from the premises, What can be done under fuch circumftances? To reverse thefe fatal acts and regulations, may feem to encourage a licentious rabble to oppofe every act of power, however conducive to the publick good, if it squared not with popular opinion. To persevere in a refolution, to fubject foch untractable fpirits, even by force, if it was neceffary, would be next to distraction. Cur wife neighbours already fee this, and rife in their demands, increase in their obftinate refufal to our claims, in proportion to the profpect of this difunion. A dangerous precedent on one hand, as fome may think to reverfe without trial, an act of the fupreme legislature: on the other a ruinous civil difcord. Thefe are among the unfortunate legacies to the prefent administration.'

When he comes to fpeak of the subject of reprefentation he treats what has been alledged, with regard to the Americans being as much reprefented as copyholders, many large towns and populous communities in this kingdom are, with fovereign, and we think, with juft contempt as a vain fophiftry, a flimiy deception, and an affront to the understanding of fenfible people!-nevertheless, he is not of the numof those political fchemers who would have the Colonies reprefented in the British parliament. He thinks this is a ftep which ought never to be taken; and that it is the mutual intereft of Great Britain and the Colonies, that no deputies from North-America ever should have a feat in the British fenate.

Can they, fays he, ever fend any deputies who will at no time give up their own, or the British liberties, for a place or a penfion? the more diftant they are from their conflituents, the more they are expofed to temptation. The lefs property thefe deputies have, the lefs will be the purchase of their votes. Will Americans, who are able to ferve their country, and of independent fo tunes, be at all times willing to rifque their lives across the ocean in this fervice? will the distance admit them to confult their conflituents, during the feffions must we have an auxiliary army of American penfioners, in conjunction with fome other diftant members, not lefs purchafeable, to bear down the fons of freedom and indepen-dance in the British fenate, when perhaps the whole fortune of liberty is at ftake? No. We fee enough of the effects of venal poverty at home, without adding to its influence from our Colonies.'

He next takes notice of the pernicious doctrine maintained by thofe I who advife us to exert what they call authority, and to inforce the acts that have fpread fuch univerfal difcontent through America; he traces the natural effects of this council; and fhews that at beft fuch measures would prove but a wretched palliative for evils they could not poffibly cure. He then proceeds to lament the general ignorance which prevails in this country, with regard to the geography and hiftory of our Colonies; and the mistaken notions we are apt to entertain of their fituation and produces and of the condition, manner of life, traffic and connexions of their inhabitants. The account he gives of these feveral circumftances (and especially of the effential difference between the West Indians

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and North Americans) is curious, and, we apprehend, may be fafely'de pended on. In the conclufion, he briefly difcuffes the three ways that are commonly propofed, by which to extricate ourselves from our prefent perplexed "fituation; viz. 1. To enforce the Stamp act, 2. to fufpend, or, 3. to repeal it; and he is clearly of opinion, that it ought to be repealed: there being, in his judgment, not the leaft room to ap prehend any ill confequence, but, on the contrary, much good, from fuch a mark of kind and candid indulgence of our fellow fubjects.-. On the whole, we earnestly recommend this excellent little tract, of which our extracts can give but an imperfect idea, to the perufal of every Briton who is defirous of information, with regard to the real ftate of the cafe, in this very intereft ng difpute between the head and the members of the British body-politic.

Art. 19. The Claim of the Colonies to an exemption from internal taxes impofed by authority of Parliament, examined. In a Letter from a Gentleman to his Friend in America. 8vo. I s.

W. Johnston.

Controverts the Colonists claim to an exemption; and maintains the Parliament's right to a fupreme and uncontrolable jurisdiction, internally and externally, over the properties and perfons of the subjects in the Colonies. The Author has flated fome material objections to the cuftomary method of requifitions; and gives a particular account of the behaviour of the Colonies and their agents, with regard to their oppofing the Stamp bill, before the act was paffed; from which he would have us infer, that if a precedent was not obtained on this occafion, in favour of America, the failure thereof, must be charged on the improper procedure of the Americans themfelves.-The Author writes with judgment and temper; and notwithstanding his difallowance of the claim of the Colonies to an exemption, &c. he concludes with expreffing his good opinion of the temper and moderation of parliament, and his confidence in the candor and perpetual regard which fome gentlemen bear to the Colonies; from whence he concludes, there is no room for apprehenfion, that advantage will be taken of the forwardnefs of their legitimate offspring; but that their dealing towards them will be like that of parents to their truant children, not rigorously juft, but forbearing and affectionate May fuch a parental spirit ever prevail in this nation; and may her children ever make dutiful and grateful returns to fuch indulgence and tenderness!

Art. 20. A Letter from a Merchant in London to his Nephew in North-America, relative to the prefent posture of Affairs in the Colonies. 8vo. I S. Walter.

On the fame fide of the queftion with the foregoing; but written with lefs moderation. The author treats the Colonists very cavalierly; talks in a pert affuming strain; and fhews a difp fition to cavil and fneer at the Americans throughout his whole letter: which, however, is a fmart and threwd performance; and will fcarcely fail to entertain thofe whom it may not happen to convince.

Art. 21. An Application of fome General Political Rules to the prefent State of Great-Britain, Ireland, and America. In a Letter to the Rt. Hon. Earl Temple. 8vo. is. 6 d.

Almon.

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