Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1803-07-19

'iuisAuudao3. WciC cFcs spicGHSiy IN Tie
iame iltuarions and therefore sufalli-
BE concluGons concerning the future con.
duct of nations under tree governments,
cannot be drawn from the hiiiory OF paa
ages: yet there is moral e<rfaiuty, CT a
high degree Of probability, ,Iat great bo
dies Of people willsin 6milar circumstances,
generally ad III fimilar naaaer.
The country Of our foreiathers' fepul.
chfes, the Britiih iilana, has, in latter ages
been .hreatfe OF very ilnportan, poilti-
cal icenes, which cannot be contemplated
With too much care aud attention, by the
people WHO enjoy freedom, and with to
perpetuate the blefling. Engllh hiaory,
III within the period Of from two 10 three
centuries ago, is comparatively but little
intereting; for it was not till then, that
the people had any comfortable weight in
the government. Tie celebrated grant
of Englifh privileges called Magsa Clar-
ia, which has been the conRant boat Of
me nation, was obtained, not by the
people, bur by the barons or lords.
In the Year 1919, a conference was hello
between king John, one of the mott Zero
c.ous OF tyrants, and the barons Of Eng
land, at the place called Rnnnemede; which
tbs event has rendered extremely famous.
The two parties f'he king and baroa
encamped part like open enemies and
after debate of few days the king
iigned and iealed the great charter that
was required of bin. The people Whole
8interefs were incidentally promoted & e
sentually fecured by the grant of privi-
les ges, whilh was wrehed from the so
verelgn, had no voice, no agency 10 that
buhnefs bur they were then, and long
aterward, mere yshaiS to the barons,
Magma Charta, the foundation of Englilh
liberty, thar contained a number OF i'm
portant privileges and immunities as well
10 tie public in general as 70 the barons,
was obtained for the people, hut not BY
them. As king John 70 his luccedots,
hended all their efforts TO revoke and
diiannul the great charter and there
was conifant itruggle, during nearly
century, before it was completely efab-
lihed in this ffruggle, the people made
no figure the CONTEXT was merely be-
tween the ieveral moneschs, in fucce1ion,
and The mobiles.
Il was not till the year Iaes, that is,
juf eight years after the grant Of the
Magma Cbarta was wreaed from king
John, that there appeared in England the
faint dawn Of popular government, in the
commencement OF the Houlc Of Commons.
Before thar period, the Parliament Of
England confifed only Of the barons or
hou!e OF lords; and then it was, that king,
Edward |, laying under pecuplary EN-.
barrafsments, fummoned representatives
ard burgenes from the fsvefaI counties
ard boroughs, to vote him money. The
Commifioners in parliament, at their com
menccmsnt. and long afterward, were
iervile body, called together merely for
the purpofe Of facilitating replenilhment
Of the royal treafure !: they were uled
with contempt; they were kept par
from the barons and knights, who dif.
daiucd 10 mix with fuch mean per(onages;
they had no agency in the general buff.
neis ,fiegSllation and all the part al
Ggned them, was to vote fuch flms OF mo-
ney as the monarch, from time to time
demanded. Inthat, and some other fac
cceding ages, royal luminous to aftent
parliament was deemed the impoGtion OF
burthen, rather than the beltowment OF
an honour and privilege.
Several caufes, however confpired to
give the Britifh houle of commons gra-
dual consequence. The commons adher
ed to the rlonalchs as their only defence
againif the oppreilive arifocracy of the
mobiles; and the king, encouraged the
commons, in order to depreis the mobiles
whole turbulence fre,uen,lu hook fh~