The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1770-1772, 1771-09-19

II 10, 10y this innovation cur laws end to
cculliuion ale materially and 1nsnliai
ebQnceG. Fortelcue gives this as reafci
why King cannot alter or change the laws
viz. Eecauie lie governeth BY power poliiilk
az well as royal. This meaiure entirely de
Groys the former diffin6tion, and merges /
in the latter. What is The poiiiy ct thI
people To have an equilibrium in th'
three branches Of government, and 70 &
piefcrve mutual check on each other
Any one Gao plainly perceive how this juno
walton absolutely deftroys this equilibrium
The Governor, By altering to- tbcie IN
AruGtions. and backed bv his penfoa. on th'
one hand, makes otbey !oaUs than tho(e be i
fworn 10 obierve the hancafd Of sc.ion, anC
on the other hand, is iecure from The lh'eat;
Of the Commons, by deliroying the conitl'
tu,iona check contemporary he governs no
tshfick, but yg0l5. 9ned priaeipi rIaenif,
ba5a itgis gignm, FJrieicuc dildalns, and
the cunRtuuon abhors. However this il
exactly our Eualion; TIE p,eafure Of mi
niGer has the force Of law, and our Cover
nor thinks hi1ief obliged by il, in contra
defion TO the remona. ances Of the iuhjca
He concludes with fa,ing, The (nJ,1 is 60
vaned BY )aeb RUE, and I4sOs a. be bimJfy
dejires.- Ibis new mode of governmen, IS
clearly counter to this. Dues not the repre
tentative body of the people continually p'o
tcf sgsinit fuch procedure! Are they no
backed BY their conllIiuenls ard is not III,
voice Of complaint, mu'mut and deteisarion
heard in every par. of the province +! h'
CONTINUATION of the nesiuTe IS owing to III
imbecity or weakness Of the confItuIIon
which leems taily to grow more and more
crazy, and tends very TAFT TO thar period
when il will only remain monument Of IL
own ruin.
Bra6fon. one of the oldefi writer's on tn,
Englilh law, who lived in the reign Of K,nl
Henry the third, fpesking on this lufjctt
fays, "-The King hath two fupcrIors, G0c
and the law" Happy will a people be- wher
this lentiment prevails; happy will bo h 'u'e
and people be, when the fo' mer, IS H.enoeC
by levercntial regard TO that high Being
who gove'n us univeIfal nature, and by IA
cred reGpea 10 thofe laws which give hun hl'
tfln6iior, and lend him every ray which
j4zz e; and boZes around him.
lhall conclude my extracts from theft
-reat men, wllh only quoting the fentiment'
f that oracle Of the sw, and exoeiien
writer on common law, Lord Chief Jui.lc'
Coke II his ueatife or Magma Cha':A, h'
has thefe rem arksbe words, " Common
tight OF law, ha'lb no means be dli'uFhed
No, though i; be commanded under lh'
great Jfal, p'ivy fak order, 1C,if, o. m..Dqg
'ubafeV0, frOm The King o. any sfbrr. 70
| the law is the furef iar6tIafy man Col
have, and The ffrongef forueis. Lfx Ell fa
E6Tuq Ce6i,et G6 kgss C5Pfo nrn'o dfdf't".
surely, sfier what this great man has Ian
down, No one will fand up for the Iegalt,
# inf. uaiGa.. fpent former number II
chewing howIheie Infrueions, iome OF them
particularly, viz The dIfinctIon OF taxes
was wholly Illegal. If then thefe infruc
yions are in thsmie!ves againf Lave, Cox
tells Us, they ought to be avoided, thong
recommended blythe King himlelfunder IN
great zeal, &c. This the Governor himleI
is feniibicoE, when he tells US, II be fbohgt
thefe inhruefions were contrary to law, I
sosEI not follow them. A greater hnef
perhaps could not have been invented.
But however, whether the piefent untrue
= Il Ii