by all the rhetorick of Cicero or Demofthenes. There is fome. thing fo extravagantly abfurd, in the very found of its reverfe, that it is apt to make a man of mere common fenfe, ftare and look aghaft.

It is worth while to examine the foundation on which this paradox was built, by the jefuitical lawyer, by whom it was invented. He found out in Machiavel, I fuppofe, that calumny is as hurtful to a state, as accufation is useful. Accufation he interpreted a regular action at law, and calumny whatever charge did not fall under that denomination. He urged that, as the law is open to every man, there is no occafion for any other red refs. Whenever you are injured, have recourse to the King's-Bench, and not to the prefs.

But pray, Mr. Judge, how am I to act, if the injury be done by a public defaulter, by a great criminal, whom embezzled millions place above my reach? I am not able to contend with fuch enormous wealth; nor have I fo good an opinion of the fanctity of the gentlemen of the long robe, as to expect much juftice from their hands, when there is fo much to be gained by receiving the wages of iniquity? A private individual is ill qualified for fuch a tafk; it requires the efforts of a nation. The nation muft therefore be apprifed of his guilt. Therefore, till you can point me out fome other way, preferable to the prefs, of arraigning fuch delinquents, I must continue to think printed truth no libel. For what is this but appealing to the juftice and candour of the whole kingdom, which will hardly be lefs equitable in its decifions, than a court of common judicature? As it fits in judgment, as it were, upon the conduct of the whole legislature, where is the harm, if individuals are brought before the fame bar, and obliged to fubmit to irs verdict, in the fame manner as the Romans fubmitted to the people in the forum? Nothing can be more open to all fides; nothing can contribute more to preferve the purity of our manners, and to fcourge every example of vice, irreligion and false patriotism.

It is idle to charge what is avowed in print to the whole world with the odious name of calumny, if it be true. Calumny, when justly defined, is what is falfe, what is induftriously concealed, tho' it be officiously whispered about in holes and corners. This is the calumny meant by Machiavel in his maxim; this is the calumny, which is fo dangerous in all defpotick governments; and which, if the idea of libels in queftion be once established, will shake the very pillars, which fupport this kingdom.

The bad confequences, which have flowed already from reducing this doctrine to practice, ought to be a fufficient warning to us not to allow it to take deep root. Wilkes wrote a libel of this nature, a libel which was dictated by the pen of truth. He was indicted for it; and the jury condemned him without ever enquiring whether it was falfe or not, judging him equally guilty in either cafe, according to the new canon.

The late House of Commons had fhewn them the example. This proftitute affembly had the impudence to vote what they knew in their confciences to be fact a libel, and to expel a member for the crime, which they had themfelves created. How different was this conduct from the Houfe of Commons under Charles the Second! Doctar Arras, one of the members, propofed that a law fhould be made for the punishment of any reflections on his Majefty. He was obliged to afk pardon on his knees at the bar of the Houfe. So little did they encourage partial proceedings not warranted by the most enlarged and general ideas of law. His infignificance faved the Doctor from farther cenfure, as contempt fcreens the prefent inquifition of furgeons.

JUNIUS BRUTUS.

Extract of a private letter from Dublin to a gentleman in London. On minifterial influence in the Irish Hof C

I

College-Green, Nov. 25.

SAW on Tuesday a moft unconftitutional attempt (by bringing in a Privy Council money-bill into our House) to deprive the Commons of their immemorial privilege of having all taxation-bills take their rife with them. It was introduced by Mr. Me unexpectedly; the oppofition was defeated by a furprize, and it received a firft reading. He then moved, that it fhould receive a fecond reading upon the following day, but to no purpofe; for the patriots having time to rally, their adverfaries were beaten out of the field. Encouraged by this fuccefs, the fteady Dr. Lucas made on Wednesday a motion for entirely rejecting the bill. It aftonifhed the court party, and they were very near being furprized in their turn; however, npon this emergency, the Secretary rofe up with all the authority of adminiftration at his heels, and by every dry perfuafive, which a circumftantial memory, unfupported by either judgment or imagination, could collect, endeavoured to foften the Houfe into compaffion for his bill, imploring them not to treat in fo difrepectful a manner a bill which deferved their greatest veneration, as coming to them under the feal of Great-Britain.

"The House did not appear fo fenfible of his weight of argument as he expected, and perfifted in their refolution of fupporting their right of beginning every mode of taxation in their own Houfe: then did the Secretary throw by the mask, and with the genuine infolence of an upftart in office, whom Fortune had in ane of her fportive humours dreffed up in power and title, he addreffed himself to the fears of our members; he "ordered them to dread the confequence of their behaviour that day, to confider that they were to pay that money-bill, as a fine for the privilege of fitting in that Houfe; told the Speaker, that he himfelf had, in the year 1761, certified a bill of the like nature to England; charged him, in the moft indecent, unparliamentary language, with a bare-faced and fcandalous inconfiftency of character;" the Speaker modeftly denied the charge, faid on the

contrary,

contrary, that he had refused to certify fuch bill in the year 1761, as did Mr. Me, who now brought in the bill, and who for that reason was turned out of the place of Chancellor of the Exchequer. Mr. Longfield then rofe up, and told the Houfe," that until that hour, he never had feen the chair of that honourable. House infulted after fo grofs and unbecoming a manner; that former Secretaries had carried on the King's business with zeal and attachment, but never with rudeness or ill-bred warmth; that he fenfibly felt the wound which the Right Hon. gentleman had given the whole body of the Commons through the fides of their Speaker, and was determined to fupport the dignity of that chair against any little emiffary of corruption,, by words, by deeds, by all means whatfoever, which God and his country had put into his power; that it ill became an obfcure and unknown creature in this country, whofe over-rated capacity could not bear even the test of a difputed election in that Senate where mighty things were expected from him, to rife to the prefumption of dictating to a brave, numerous and loyal people, how, or in what manner their property is to be difpofed of. And concluded by declaring, that unless that Right Hon. gentleman, who had fo rafhly trampled upon the most facred orders of that Houfe, did immediately retract his ill-grounded charge against the Speaker, and make fuch atonement for his behaviour as would fatisfy the Houfe, he would move for having him brought to the bar."

WE are affured that the Merchants of this town, confidering that the period to which their late agreement to withhold the importation of British goods was limited, is near at hand; it being to continue till the first of January next, unless the Revenue Act impoling duties on paper, glafs, &c. fhould be repealed before that time: And alfo further confidering there is another act of Parliament in being, for the purpose of raising a revenue from us without our confent; and that therefore the grounds of their just complaint cannot be removed while the laft mentioned act remains in force, fhould the other be repealed; have fet on foot a fubfcription, obliging themfelves not to import goods from Great Britain, fuch only excepted as are excepted in the former agreement, until both the faid revenue acts shall be repealed. An agreement which they think themselves bound to come into, as it feems to be the moft peaceable, as well as effectual method that can be taken to recover our loft liberties. Upon the fame principles it is not doubted but our brethren and fellow-fufferers in the other towns and colonies on this continent, will come into the fame agreement. It is faid that in lefs than five minutes from the opening this fubfcription, near twenty of the principal importers figned the fame; and, that it is probable it will be general, as the fubfcription rolls fill up very faft: few of the Merchants even hefitating, at a time when their country and their pofterity demand a facrifice of their prefent interelt.

As

As fome doubts remain in the minds of fome of our trade, whether the fouthern governments will come into fimilar agreemements which our Merchants lately came into refpecting the non-importation of goods from Great Britain till the revenue acts are totally repealed; the public may be affured of their readiness to co-operate in this measure in particular, or any other that is for the good of the whole.

We hear feveral gentlemen of fortune, principal importers, are determined to improve their stock in fetting up woollen manufactures, which is found by experience can be carried on to great advantage, from fome effays that have been already made, in pursuing which, they can at least make it equally profitable as importing the manufactures of Britain; and at the fame time provide for the numberleis idle youth, whofe parents now labour only to fupport their brethren of Great Britain.

Nov. 9, The fubscription above-mentioned has been figned by all the importers in town, except ten or twelve.

The Speech of his Excellency the Right Honourable Norborne Baron de Botetourt, his Majefty's Lieutenant and Governor General of the colony and dominion of Virginia, and Vice Admiral of the fame, to the General Affembly, convened at the capital, on Tuesday the 7th of November 1769.

Gentlemen of the Council, Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the House of Burgeffes.

I

Have again received the king's commands to meet you in general affembly for the dispatch of the public bufinefs of this dominion; and I hope I need not obferve to you that this will be best done by temper and moderation. I affure you that I fhall obey my royal mafter's commands with the trueft fatisfaction, by concurring with you in fuch measures as may best promote the happiness of his majefty's fubjects in Virginia.

Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the House of Burgeffes.

The king having been graciously pleased, at our earnest defire, to refer to his board of trade, to re-confider the boundary line betwixt this colony and the Cherokees, which had been agreed to by that board, I am directed to acquaint you, that in confequence of reference and re-confideration, a report has been made in favour of a more extended boundary, and that his majefty will confent to the propofed alteration, upon condition that the colony will make provifion to defray the expence of the negociation neceffary for that purpose. I have it therefore in command from his majesty to afk of his houfe of Burgeffes to enable him to carry into immediate and. complete execution that very defirable object. The propofed alteration, together with a rate of the expence which I am told will neceffarily attend it, fhall be immediately laid before you.

I must likewife beg your attention to many alarming reports which have been received from the frontier counties of this colony. I will lay the whole before you, with a state of every thing which has been done in confequence of those accounts, and shall be fupremely happy, if you can fuggeft to me any mode of proceeding by which the facred laws of our country may again recover that free courfe which can alone give permanance and fecurity to this refpectable government.

Gentlemen of the Council, Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the House of Burgeffes.

I think myfelf peculiarly fortunate to be able to inform you that in a letter dated May the 13th. I have been affured by the earl of Hillsborough, that his majesty's prefent adminiftration have at no time entertained a defign to propofe to parliament to lay any farther taxes upon America for the

purpofe

purpofe of raifing a revenue, and that it is their intention to propofe in the next feffion of parliament to take off the duties upon glafs, paper, and colours, upon consideration of fuch duties having been laid contrary to the true principles of commerce. It may poffibly be objected that as his majefty's prefent administration are not immortal, their fucceffors may be inclined to attempt to undo what the prefent minifters fhall have attempted to perform: To that objection I can give but this anfwer, that it is my firm opinion that the plan I have stated to you will certainly take place, and that it will never be departed from; and fo determined am I for ever to abide by it, that I will be content to be declared infamous if I do not, to the last hour of my life, at all times, in all places, and upon all occafions, exert every power with which I either am or ever fhall be legally invested, in order to obtain and maintain for the continent of America that fatisfaction which I have been authorised to promife this day by the confidential fervants of our gracious fovereign, who, to my certain knowledge, rates his honour fo high, that he would rather part with his crown than preferve it by deceit.

LONDON, December 7.

Yesterday the Petition from the City and Liberty of Weftminster, complaining of a violation of the Rights of Election, and praying a Diffolution of the prefent Parliament, was prefented to his Majefty, at the levee at St. James's, by Sir Robert Bernard, Bart. Chairman of the general meeting in Westminster-hall, and Robert Jones, Efq; Chairman of the committee, who drew up the fame. As thefe two gentlemen had fo early taken a very handsome part in fupport of this measure, the Committee thought it improper to defire any other gentlemen to attend the Petition to his Majefty; and they were confirmed in this opinion, by its being the true and voluntary fenfe of the Electors, unawed and uninfluenced by any party, or fet of men whatever. The Petition is purely, and literally, the Petition of the people, and contains their genuine fentiments on the late alarming violation of their Rights to elect their own Representatives in Parliament. It is figned by 5137, which is a refpectable Majority.

Besides the above, petitions have been prefented from the town of Berwick upon Tweed, and the borough of Southwark. In the course of this month, fundry meetings have likewife been held at different places, and petitions agreed on.---As the general purport of thefe petitions is to complain of the violation of the right of free election; and to request the diffolution of the parliament, we imagine this account of them will be fufficient for which reafon, and for want of room, we thought proper to omit them.

It is confidently reported that these petitions will not be answered by a diffolution of the parliament, but that proper notice will be taken of them,---what that proper notice is, the ministry have not yet fuffered to tranfpire.

His Excellency Governor Melville will embark early in January next for Grenada, but he has not yet received his orders or inftructions from the fecretary of ftate for the colonies, relative to the means of restoring harmony and tranquility in his government.

The earl of Chatham has engaged to exert himself this feffion in the houfe of lords, against fome of the most remarkable measures taken by the present administration, fince he refigned the privy feal, and great expectations are formed that he will carry fome popular questions in oppofition to the ministry.

We hear a committee of the capital merchants trading to Portugal, will be appointed to wait upon his majesty's fecretary of state, lord Wey

mouth,