The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1770-1772, 1771-08-08

the cau!s of the printers, and the pniec-
ton of the laws, and of the ciy's franchltes.
The Commons Fill proceeded with the fame
outrageous violencc. They called upon {! e
magiRrates to juiiify their conduct and,
would not fuffer them &c be heard by council.
1hefc men, who had allowed the pFoitltu'e
electors of Shoreham council 10 defend a bar
gain to fell their borough byau6tion, would
not grant the fame indulgence to the Loid-
Mayor of London, pleading for the laws of
England, and the contentious diicharge OF
his duty. Accordingly they committed him
to the Tower, for not violating bis oath.
The mott iacred obligation of morality and
religion they vote criminal, when It happens
to itand in competition with their sllufned
privilege. Their next hcp was the act of a
mob, and not Of parliament. r::an the
recogniZanCe entered at GuildhaIl. We have
heard of iuch violence committed by the
French King and it iecms much better cal
culated for the latitude OF Paris thar London.
] be people of!his kingdom will never iubrnit
to fuch bare faced tyranny. They mutt fec
that it is time to Iouff, when their own crea-
lures dare 10 afumc power offopping pro-
fecutions by their vote, and confquentiy Of
refolving the law cf the land into their will
and pleafure. The imprudence, and indeed
the abfolute madnets of ,hele meafures, &C.
monRrate that they are not he refult Of tina:
anembly's calm, unbisHed deliberations, but
the dictates of weak, uniformed minihers,
Influenced by thofe who mi0ead the fovereign.
1t is impoAibe that grave, and once vene-
rable body of men, it left TO itfeif, lhould
have converted government into a fcume
with a Jingle individual. Were the Com
mons rot abloIute Aayes to the man who
holds the golden keys Of the treaiury, they
could never have rendered the very name of
parliament ridiculous, by carrying On con-
flant war againf Mr.. Wilkes. To them it
is entirely owing that he is become perfon
of ccnlequence in the fate. They hrff
made him representative for Middlelex, and
then alderman of London. Now they leem
determined to make him iheriH, and, in due
courfe, Lord. Mayor - Wien he fet their
authority at defiance, in the cafe IF the
printers, they repeatedly declared him anne
nable to their jurifdi6tion, and actually ferved
him with more than one order to attend.
Upon being found refractory, they fhame-
fully gave up the point after puniihing the
chief. magfrate of the city, they filtered
him to elcape with inpunity, and, in the
face of the world, acknowledged him to be
their lord and MATER.
Matters being thus circumRanced, the
Commons being both odious and contempt
Bile, there remains but one poflible remedy
for the evil. In order to fave the name and
infiituticn of parliament from ruin, the Com
mons muf, according to the earnef requeit |
of majority ofthe electors of England, and |
the with of almof all the nation, be diilolvcd. |
This Rep may reRore good humour and tram
guilty on the one hand, and good govern
ment on the other. Not that | imagine this |
atf alone efficient. No; have no fuch |
fanguine expectation; | lulpea it will prove
but temporary and partial remedy. The
influence of the crown is become 70 enor-
nous, that fome ftronger bulwark muf be
erected for the defence of the contribution.
The act for continuing Gptennial parlia-
ments muf be repealed. Formerly the in
conveniencies attending ihort parliaments
had great weight with me but now we are
not debating upon quehon Of convenience /; !
our all is at fake; our whole contribution is |
giving way; and therefore, with the mott |
deliberate and folemn conviction, ] declare |
myfelf a convert to triennial parliaments.