The Massachusetts spy, or, Thomas's Boston journal. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1772-1775, 1773-03-04

my probably hippen dearuaiye Of the 6re
law OF iociet,. the good OF the whole. You tell
US. that Z" after the afamption OF all the po-
wer, If government. by virtue of the new
charter, an sct paGed for reviving for limit.
cd tine. all the local laws Of the Mali .ehu.
Ietts-say. and New-Plymou'h respectively,
not repugnant to the la~s.of England. AM
at the fam: felton, an az pa1ed eaabliihing
aaval officers, that all undue trading couua
~ TO an act OF pa lament may be preventsd."
Among the aSts thar were thea revived, we
may reaioaably fappofe, was that wheteby
proviioo was made TO give force to this set OF
parliament in the, province. The eitsbliih-
meat therefore OF naval officers was TO aid the
execution OF an act of parliament, for the OBJ
Ervance of which. within the COLONY, the al
fembly had before made proviion after tree
debates, with their own content and by their
own acts.
This aa Of parliament paled in I74I, for
ru ting, an end TO fsyeral understandable
| l>hemes mentioned by your ExSelency, was
dehgoed tor the gene al good and it, the va
| lidity Of il was not diiputed,it canno. be urged
as concs iiion of the ,lupreme authority T.
make laws binding on US in all eaIe5 -vbaevr.
But If the defgn OF it was for the general be-
aeht Of the PROVINCE, il wss in one Teipea at
lea& greatly complained OF, by the perions
more Immediately affected by it, md to re-
msdy the Inconvenience, the legilAture of this
| PFpv,nce .psiIed an ad,. directly initiating
with It, which is the arongeR e, dence, that
although they may have fubmi,ted Iab ElsnIO
10 Tome acts OF parliamen, that they conceived
might operate for their benefit, they did not
conceive themieyes bound by any of its acts
which they judged would operate to the ID.
| juty even Of individuals. Your Excellency has
nor though. proper to attempt to confute the
reafoning of a learned writer on the laws OF
nature and nations, quoted by US on this oc-
ieafion,. to ihe~ that the authority of the egif.
lature doe: not extend 70 far as the funds amen.
tails of. the cobftitution. We are unhappy in
% having yoar remarks upon the reafoning oil
Ithat'great mans and until Il is confuted We
lhAll remain Of the opinion, thst the funda.
mentals Of the. contribution being excepted from
| the commifion of the legi1aiors. none of the
| acts aud doines The General AGembly how.
4 ever deliberate and .folcm,, could avail tc
change. them, il the peopls have not in yer,
4
and thatmuch lefs ought th-' acts and doiogs
however numerous, which baely refer to act
OF parliament made expressly to relate TO US
TO b: taken as an acknowledgment that we ar
! llubje6 to the fuPreme authority of parlian ent
.SN\We haIl FUN up our o"n ientiments ia tn
. Wolds Of that learned writer Mr.. Hooker, il
bAv eccleGaaical policy as quoted byMr. Locke
Il" The lawful power Of making laws to com
mand whole polite focieties of men. belonging
70 properly TO the fame intire focieties that fc
= any prince or Potentste of what kind foever
y to exercile the fame of hmief, and not f,or
\ exprefs ccmmiiion Immediately and perfon
c ally received from God, is no better Than ma
|. Tyranny. Laws therefore they are nor whic
4 IpE6Ae Appreciation hath not made 10 :" Fo
/ " laws human of what kind loever are avail
/. able by Content" Since men naturall
: have no full aGd perfect power to con,msn
E whole polite multitudes OF men, therefore ut
{ teTly without our content we could in fuel
, fort be at no mans commandment living
I And to be commanded we do content, shei
| that fociety whereof We be part hath at an,
, time before comlented." We think your Elk
: | cellency has not proved. either that this CO
, Iony is a part ofthe polite fociety OF EogIand
: or that il has ever conlented that the parlia
. menE Of England or Great Britain ihoald max,
las binding upon US 10 all cafes whatever
whether made expfeiHy to refer to Us or not
We caOnot help before wa conclude, ex
Prefing our great concern tina. your ExceIlen.
ey has thus repeatedly in manner inGltec
upon our free feniimtnrs on matters of 70 dc.
icate nature and weighty importance
The queaios appears TO US TO be no other
thAD whether we are the fabje6ts of abloIute
unlimited power, or of free 6 Ivernmenr form.
ed on the principles Of the Englilh eOnaiiuion
# your ExceIlencys doet inc DC true, the Peo.
pie Ct this province hold their lands Of the
crown and people of England, and their live,
liberties and properties are at their difpofal and
that even by compact and their own content.