love of Liberty is its characteristic, and where every thing ge nerous, and in favour of that Liberty, is congenial with the beft and warmeft feelings of the people. So extremely fimple are thofe first principles of our Conftitution, upon which depends THE LIBERTY OF THE PEOPLE, that the Society are convinced any such institution as theirs had for ever been unneceffary, had not certain of our Parliaments, without authority, unjustly, and against their fidelity, defpifing the wisdom of the great founders of our government, and the rights of their conftituents, departed from and violated this found maxim of popular Freedom, that "To the bulk of any "nation, destined to labour and not to ftudy, to act and not "to fpeculate, it is neceffary to enjoy the poffeffion undiminished, " and the conftant exercise unabridged, of its legislative or ÉLECTION RIGHTS, as the only poffible means by which it "can retain a knowledge of thofe Rights, and of their ineftimable value; or by which it can preferve its Liberty." 'It has been juftly observed by a diftinguished writer*, that When a PEOPLE have loft the power of legally afferting their "Rights, they are exposed to that which is THE HIGHEST "DEGREE OF POLITICAL RUIN, the lofs of even the re"membrance of them." And, agreeable to the above maxim," another excellent author informs us, that "Our Saxon fore"fathers eftablished their government in Britain, before the "tranfactions of mankind were recorded in writing, at least among the nothern nations: the, therefore, handed down' "to pofterity the principles of their government, BY THE "ACTUAL EXERCISE OF THEIR RIGHTS; which became "the ancient ufage and cuftom of the people, and the law of "the land. And hence it came to pass, that when this ancient "cuftom and ufage ceafed to act, the remembrance of the custom "ceafed with it. We may add to this, that, fince the Con 66 quest, our arbitrary kings, and men of arbitrary principles, "have endeavoured to deftroy the few remaining records and "historical facts, that might keep in remembrance a form of *De Lolmes Conftitution of England, p. 210. government government so kind, friendly, and hofpitable to the human "fpecies*." It is the aim of this Society to fupply, as far as may be, the want of those destroyed records, and to revive in the minds of their fellow-citizens, THE COMMONALTY AT LARGE, a knowledge of their loft Rights; fo that, knowing the value of their Inheritance, and the absolute neceffity of exercising their Election Rights as extenfively and as conftantly as our facred Constitution and its great Founders intended, they may restore Freedom and Independency to that branch of the legislature which originates from, reprefents, and is answerable to THEM SELVES. That this Independency hath been unconftitutionally incroached upon, hath long, from its notoriety, been the public fentiment, and is now the public complaint: and even the Commons' House of Parliament itself hath acknowledged both the justice and the neceffity of this complaint, by its memorable vote on the 6th day of this month. If there be any one cause of alarm to the People of England of greater magnitude than all others, it is fuch a confeffion as this on the part of their representatives in the legislature; it is big with folemn warning; it is full of ferious admonition. 3 Hence all those who have a regard for their peace, their property, or their facred laws; all who feel the tender affections of kindred, or children, or parents; all who are friendly to fociety, or who loves their country; who are inspired by gratitude to the Founders and Prefervers of this Constitution, and who wish to leave it as an inheritance to pofterity, are called upon by every confideration which can awaken fleeping virtue, or ftimulate the breaft to wife and generous actions for their own and their country's good, thoroughly to inform themselves what the Conftitution is; what is its present DANGER; and by what means it may be placed in SAFETY. April 1780. * Hiftorical Effay on the English Constitution, p. 8. DECLARA DECLARATION of thofe RIGHTS of the COMMONALTY of GREAT BRITAIN, without which they cannot be FREE. IT IS DECLARED, FIRST, That the government of this realm, and the mak ing of laws for the fame, ought to be lodged in the hands of King, Lords of Parliament, and Representatives of the whole body of the freemen of this realm. 2dly, That every man of the commonalty (excepting infants, infane perfons, and criminals) is, of common right, and by the laws of God, a Freeman, and entitled to the full enjoyment of Liberty. 3dly, That liberty, or freedom, confifts in having an actual fbare in the appointing of those who frame the laws, and who are to be the guardians of every man's life, property, and peace: for the ALL of one man is as dear to him as the ALL of another; and the poor man has an equal right, but more need, to have representatives in the legislature than the rich one. 4thly, That they who have no voice nor vote in the electing of representatives do not enjoy liberty, but are abfolutely enslaved to those who have votes, and to their reprefentatives: for to be enflaved, is to have governors whom other men have fet over us, and to be subject to laws made by the reprefentatives of others, without having had representatives of our own to give confent in our behalf. 5thly, That a very great majority of the commonalty of this realm are denied the privilege of voting for representatives in parliament; and confequently they are enslaved to a small num- · ber, who do now enjoy this privilege exclufively to themselves; but who, it may be prefumed, are far from wishing to continue in the exclufive poffeffion of a privilege, by which their fellow-fubjects are deprived of common right, of justice, of liberty; and which, if not communicated to ALL, must speedily cause the certain overthrow of our happy conftitution, and enflave us ALL. And, 6thly 6thly and lastly, We alfo fay and do affert, that it is the right, of the commonalty of this realm to elect a new Houfe of Commons once in every year, according to ancient and facred laws of the land: becaufe, whenever a parliament continues in being for a longer term, very great numbers of the commonalty, who have arrived at the years of manhood fince the last election, and therefore have a right to be actually reprefented in the House of Commons, are then unjustly deprived of that right: and because it has been found by experience that longer Parliaments are extremely liable to corruption and undue influence, and to become more dependent upon the crown than upon their conftituents; by which means the balance of the Conftitution is deftroyed, and the people's rights and interefts betrayed by thofe who are chofen to protect them. When the above Declaration is compared with the prefent long parliaments, and unequal reprefentation of the people, which have brought this kingdom to the brink of ruin, every true friend to his country is folemnly called upon to use his utmost endeavours for the restoration of annual parliaments, and that right of voting, which God and the Conftitution have given him. In his hearty labours to obtain these civil and just rights, let every one practise the Chriftian rule, to do unto others as we would they fhould do unto us. Then will that bleffed æra come, when every man shall be free and happy under his vine, on earth peace, and confequently glory to God in the higheft. A REAL FRIEND TO THE PEOPLE. EXTRACT FROM A TREATISE OF POLITIC POWER. Written by Dr. JOHN POYNET, Bishop of Wincheiter, in 1556, banished by Queen Mary. At this time particularly recommended to the public attention. AND because public matters of a realm, that concern all and every man's life, wife, children, lands, goods, and whatsoever (7) སྙ་ ) whatsoever cannot be treated on by all men, but all muft put their trust in a few, men ought to be wife, and circumspect. whom they trust for there be too many that pafs not what become of their neighbours, fo they may profper themselves; what become of the whole realm, fo their own families may ftand ftill. He that maketh fuit to be a deputy for a multitude, feemeth to fue for his own vain-glory or profit. Those that fend letters not to choose this man, but to choofe fuch a man, have in their heads more than the univerfal wealth of all. He that bringeth letters to be preferred, meaneth not the benefit of them whom he would ferve., He that giveth money, and maketh great feasts, thinketh fome other fetch than the fervice of his neighbours. He that refuseth or releaseth his ordinary wages, looketh for fome greater extraordinary reward. He that is always or oft at prince's platters, or in practisers' palaces, cannot long continue the peoples' true proctor. SATIRE ON MODERN CLERGYMEN. PRAISE RAISE to the glorious Priefts of modern days! 1 To all the Holy Brotherhood fing praise ! The ancient order taught the peace of heav'n, In |