The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1770-1772, 1771-12-19

tutional legil4tion, and iou! and body toGe
ther of taxation, we need new iei Ut law
books to iupport MIR. Eiulchnlon's ides
of the fupreme Legislature of this province.
Laws coniidered as rules Of human con.
due in general, may very unexcePtlonably
extend over the whole empire, and doubt'eis
the tact, content of both Irlhmen andAner'-
caas will give fufIicicn, faneion to theie; but
acts of the Briiiih parliament plainly tending
to deprive Ireland or America Of fome naiu-
raj advantage, and monopo'ize particular ar
cIes of Manufacture and commerce 10 them
fclyes, mulf inevitably draw into quetlon,
th. right of fuch unequal exeTtions OF power,
By no means derived from The people. 1t
the dilpofal of the property of freeman by
his own content, or that of his rePrelsnta-
tive, by him freely and fairly chofen for that
end, be his natural, foafitational and m
a!inabk RIGHT, he will think hlmfeIt
wronged when this difpolAl is w'eited from
him by any other. And as this cannot be
done but by an ACT eoatrG'y to the great
charter of Eaglilh liberties, to which ne is
equally entitled with any fubje& in Britain,
il mutt be done againf law ; for all the
books tell him that any acf made agalnit
Magma Charta ihall be holden for none.
Il is now pretty universally known that
laws by which freemen ihould be governed,
fhould be laws originating tVitb fbfagfSIUfs
fubiee, no doubt, to the rejection of the
other branches But to be controlled by the
cdicts of any power on earth, without right
ofreleGtion, or any advfement in The cafe, is
as utterly incompatible with the right, privi-
lege and immunity of an Englifhnian, as
cloie imprisonment in dungeon is with
perfect liberty.
Two queaions atife on this head, viz. VIII
the Americans long luffer fuch cruel, IN
furious and dangerous treatment or, If not,
how will they attempt relief ffom 70 into
Ierable a grievance ! The anfweF to
the Iaft is, by the laws of the land.
If a jury Of Suffolk can 70 eaily be taught
to diGinguifh between juffihable and excufa-
bic homicide, manllaughter, and murder
man mutt be timerous indeed who dare not
trult them with the ifiue Of afew pounds ra-
vi(hed by colour of one of thofe unconititu-
tional ediefs, which every cobler knows
wants what even Backbone himfelf declares
iniiipenible to the contribution of a law, the
content of the commons whole actions it is
to controul.
Well did the fage Lord Coke oblerve, that
the law v.'s every mans iaf eeRk; and
very recent hifory informs US how induitri-
Gus a late infamous murderous piundeier
was to prevent the victims of his ra-
paci.y and cruelty, to gain any acquaintance
with the laws of their country. But thanks
TO the God who rules in the armies OF heaven,
and looks down with indignation on idch
rebels to his government. NoFanning, tryon,
HutchinGon, nor HiIlioorough, w='e they 10
dilpoled, could hide the laws from the
HAPPY inhabitants of TIL. favored province.
-----------The nobc ambition OF fAVlng
a devoted empire, has taken iuch tho
rough pollelEion of 70 ulanv bo(oms that earth
nor hell can qIench the ip,rk, which every
breath of oppo,i,ion ferves bu. TO ina4ne.---
The ruling pa1Isa and teigning tate is eaiily
perceived by the encouragement given to
Printers on one or other hde the important
qaefions Of, whether freemen lhall retain the
diipofL oftheir properly IN their own hands,
or accept the favour or Charles Froth, ETC;
Benjamin EI---~ II, &c TO manage it stther
dIfcretiou. in providing fo' fuch gentry as
Fellows, Rchsrdfon and tVimot.
Many very feelingly realize SHAT the con-
lhuti1n aud IFS laws are me BATS Of pubic
tranquility, the tirmea fuppon of the public
authority and pledge of the Liberty Of the CT
lizens.' And they as fully believe, that 'to
attack the contribution Of the fate, and to vi