fectual, but upon producing an order figned by any three or more of the chief commiffioners of his majesty's revenue." This amendment was carried. Mr. Chapman moved that "all application fhould be on affidavit"-paffed in the negative. Mr. Huffey moved that "the writ of affiftance fhould he in force for one year only, and none be obliged to affift unless the fame is figned by a furveyor, collect or or infpector, and mentioning the particular cafe for which it is obtained." Colonel Blaquiere (after it had been poftponed for near half an hour to confider on it) moved to expunge the part requiring mention of the particular case. The claufe obliging a number to be fixed on all gentlemen's carriages being read, Mr. Chapman confidered it as a mark of fhame, and moved to expunge the whole clause, but his motion pafled in the negative. After fome altercation on the amendments proposed by Mr. Huffey, and Col. Blaquiere, Mr. Huffey moved to adjourn the report till Monday, This produced a fresh difpute for near two hours; when the queftion being put that the further confideration of this report be adjourned. Ayes Noes Majority for proceeding 32 74 42 Col. Blaquiere's amendment was then put and carried, on which Mr. Huffey faid he had hoped his name would have been honoured for an amendment, that would have prevented intrusting a petty revenue officer, with an authority which the king had not; and of giving a power to the dipping rule, which the conftitution denied to the fceptre, but fince his good intentions were fruftrated by expunging those words of fecurity, he would withdraw his motion. Mr. Prime Serjeant then moved to add the following clause. "That the writ of affiftance should never be executed by any officer beneath a furveyor, unless he had an order from a fuperior officer, not under the degree of a furveyor. This motion was carried. Mr. Huffey moved, that inftead of the words," the end of the next feffion of parliament in the limitting clause, be inferted thefe words, "The end of any feffions of parliament which fhall commence before the twenty-fifth of December, 1775." The motion paffed in the negative, The report being thus gone through, Mr. Scott was ordered to carry the bill to the lord lieutenant to be transmitted to England. The speakers in behalf of Mr. Huffey's motions were, Mr. Huffey, Mr. Barry, Mr. Ponsonby, Mr. Chapman, Mr. Brownlow, Sir Lucius O'Brien, Mr. Robert French, and Mr. George Montgomery. The speakers against them were, Mr. Langrifhe, Mr. Malone, Mr. Scott, Colonel Blaquiere, Colonel Browne, Mr. Buthe, Mr. Serjeant Dennis, Mr. Prime Serjeant, Mr. Mason, and Mr. Carleton. Monday, Feb. 21.] The hon. Robert Rochfort reported the heads of a bill for amending the road from Dublin to Mullingar, which report was agreed to by the house, and Mr. Rochfort ordered to carry the bill to the lord lieutenant. Colonel Burton presented heads of a bill for paving the city of Dublin, which, were read and committed. The house went into a committee on the quarterage bill (Dr. Clement in the chair) and heard Mr. Harte and the recorder, council for the bill, and Mr. Yelverton, council for the petitioners against it. Mr. Redmond Morres propofed to amend the first claufe by extending it two miles round the caftle of Dublin. Mr. Bufhe and Mr. Mafon oppofed this amendment, and Mr. Gardiner thought it best to poftpone it till it could be known what the people of the county at large thought about it. Colonel Browne thought it would be better to add two hundred miles, and take in the whole kingdom, that the franchises might ride all over Ireland. And moved that the chairman now leave the chair. Mr. Huffey fpoke in favour of the bill, and thought if it was to be rejected, it would be most proper to do it when the whole had been gone through. Mr. Daly, Mr. Mafon, and Mr. Barry oppofed the bill. Mr. Morres agreed to postponing his amendment, and Colonel Browne withdrew his motion, but moved to adjourn the committee. On this day, heads of a bill for lighting and cleanfing feveral cities and esta→ blifhing market juries, and heads of a bill to enable Mr. Prefton to fell part of his eftate, were read a third time. Tuesday, February 22.] Mr. Preston's bill was fent up to the lord lieutenant. Colonel Blaquiere acquainted the house, from his excellency, that a memorial from the commiffioners of customs, and a petition from fundry capital merchants and traders, had been presented to him; that ! he he had referred them to the house, and defired their advice thereon. The memorial was read, dated Sept. 5, 1773, and contained the opinion of the commiffioners that the prefent customhouse was decayed, and very inconvenient; that a new cuftom-houfe fhould be built; that the lower it was fituated down the river, the more advantageous it would be for the revenue; and could that confideration alone prevail, it would be their opinion that Ringfend would be the most proper place; but that, at least, it should be further down than the end of Anglefea fireet, where docks might be made, and prevent the inconvenience of ships Iving a long time unloaded, waiting for their time of coming to the quay to deliver, and that, for want of room, they were obliged to be at the expence of above 7ool, a year for rents of flores on the Blind Quay. The petition of the merchants, &c. was then read, fetting forth the great hurt of both trade and property that would enfue from a removal of the cuftom house down the river; and the building a new bridge, which would be the confequence thereof. Ordered, that the house will next Monday refolve into a committee to take his excellency's meffage into confideration. Dr. Clement prefented a petition against this alarming measure from the city of Dublin, which was referred to the above committee. Mr. Redmond Morres moved that the petitioners be heard by council against the removal of the custom house. Mr. Speaker declared it was against order, as no bill was intended for the purpose; hence arose fome difpute; all agreed to the propriety of hearing counfel (efpecially as Colonel Blaquiere told the house his excellency had received another petition in favour of the measure, which he would lay before the house tomorrow); yet they differed as to the mode of ordering it. It was therefore left undecided till to-morrow, Mr. Gardiner prefented a petition from Gilbert Holmes, Efq; and Mr. Thomas L'Eftrange, fetting forth that they had erected a flour mill in the King's County, which had been of great public benefit, in promoting a tillage in the neighbouring parts, but that lait December it was burned down, and a lofs of about goool. incurred. That it was not certain whether the fire came by defign or accident, but the former was apprehended; and the benevolence of parlia ་ Heads of a bill for amending the road through Carlow to Kilkenny were prefented, and ordered to be committed. Mr. Chapman prefented heads of a bill for amending the law in respect to cuftodiums, which were committed, and ordered to be printed. Heads of a bill for the fale of part of the estate of Thomas Tennison, Efq; were alfo prefented, read and committed. [To be continued.] To Mr WALKER. brought with me from Corke, under Send you three inimitable effays, which I X the fignature of Agricola. They were written by Henry Shears, Efq; banker of faid city, who with feveral other gentlemen, frequently amufe that town by their productions in the Hibernian Chronicle, printed by Mr. Flyn, whose paper was in fuch demand when they appeared, that I could not get one to purchase, but procured thofe inclosed from a subscriber. As I know they must be a valuable addition to your entertaining magazine, I send them for your next publication, and am your conftant reader Y. Z. Effex-ftreet, Feb, 25, 1775. ESSAY II. who, from confidering the Lord's Prayer only as it stands in our liturgy, have been led into an imperfect idea of the petition for forgiveness. In the Greek of Saint Matthew it runs thus, T is to be feared that there are fome 66 Forgive us our Debts, as we forgive our Debtors;" and to this Saint Luke correfponds, “ Forgive us our Sins, For We alfo forgive those who are Indebted to us.” Why any deviation fhould have been made from words fo facred, I do not know. The literal conftruction, Debts, takes in all that is intended by Trespass es and more. In its firft and immediate fenfe it means those obligations relative to property which arife from the intercourfe of fociety; and extends alfo to the great circle of duties, which man owes to man, and every man to his Creator. Existence, reafon, immortality, a profufion of temporary, and an offer of endless bleffings, form a debt too great to be difcharged. The warmest afpira tions of gratitude are faint, and the moft vigorous exertions of fervice imperfect. But our efforts may reach to man, though they fall thort of Heaven. The great univerfal Creditor takes in payment to himfelf what we do for others. Pity, Patience, and benignity are his favourite offerings, and the prevailing petition of his commands is, That we make each other happy. He, who flooped to inftrust us how to afk forgiveness, makes the remitting of the debts of others the exprefs condition of our hopes. This is the first step of the fcale, and the man, who will not rife fo far above his paffions, can never expect to go higher. To remember in juries with kindness, to repay evil with good, and become the chearful benefactor of an enemy, are heights beyond the reach of unenlightened Ethics; yet to thefe must every one afpire who would avail hin felf of the fufferings or interceffion of the Teacher. But the rudiments of Philanthrophy must be learned before we can feel its elevations. unbars the heart, Refinement meet Un Pity no entrance, nor can we dreanoffoaring to angelic heights, while we funk below the common standard of humanity. To deprive a fellow-being of every comfort, and cover him with every mifery, merely for his incapacity of pay ing, would evince a malignity too diabolical, I hope to be human. Yet little better is the relentlefs creditor's motive; a wretched pride of appearing acute and prudent in the eyes of others, mixing with a little groveling refentment at the idea of a real, or intende, impofition on his understanding. For this, he show. ers woes upon the head of poverty, and denies to his brother of the duft a little portion of that mercy, which our common Maker did not unlimitedly poffefs, the firft, the only, with of every thinking being would be, to fhrink out of exiftence. To the misplacing of our paffions we owe most of our errors. Ambitious of eminence where in fact we are most reftrained, we are more jealous of our in tellectual, than our moral, merit. We are content to be thought cruel, provided we are thought fagacious, and, to fupport the fancied ftatelinefs of worldly wifdom, defcend below the rank of the common executioner. We catch at a revenge not palliated by the plea of provocation, nor dignified by the fhew of fpirit: a revenge within the reach of the most abject being in the community; at which a man fhould blush, and a chriftiApril, an fhould tremble. hand of generous forbearance, and the Real pre-eminence is bestowed by the molt thrilling flattery is the voice of mifery relieved. To fee the tear of gratitude fwelling in the eye, and the features throbbing with the emotions of a bleffing heart; to fee happiness, like a and feel ourfelves rifing in the estimation new creation, brightening up at our touch, of the fource of Being; these create a pride which humility may avow, and a fuperiority which will furvive the fleeting phantons of diftinction. clofe; The hand that holds it must rot. The eye that reads this paper must Nor is the hour far off. Business in vain endeavours to fubdue, or Levity to repeal the thought. It has a voice of that which is dreadful is alfo inevitable, thunder, and will be heard. When left us. Religion points to the means, to difarm it of its terrors is all that is and Reafon urges us to embrace them. when the four begins to difentangle, and have made themselves infenfible, but from exorability ftands dreadfully diftinguifh- ras; if the Son of God knew the will of AGRICOLA. To be concluded in our next.] Dr. Samuel Fobnson having at length drawn bis Pen in the American Difpute, and produced a Piece, entitled, Taxation no Tyranny; being an Answer to the Refolutions and Address of the American Congress, we fhall lay it before cur Readers. [Given entire. Price is. 6d.] all parts of human knowledge, whether terminating in fcience merely speculative, or operating upon life private or civil, are admitted fone fundamental principles, or common axioms, which being generally received are little doubted, and being little doubted have been rarely proved. Of these gratuitous and acknowledged truths it is often their fate to become lefs evident by endeavours to explain them, however neceffary fuch endeavours may be made by the mifapprehenfions of abfurdity, or the fophiftries of interett. It is difficult to prove the principles of fcience, because notions cannot always be found more intelligible than thofe which are queftioned. It is difficult to prove the principles of practice, because they have for the most part not been difcovered by investigation, but obtruded by experience, and the demonftrator will find, after an operofe deduction, that he has been trying to make that feen which can be only felt, Of this kind is the pofition, that the Supreme power of every community has the right of requiring from all its fubjects fuch contributions as are neceffary to the public Jafety or public profperity, which was conidered by all mankind as comprifing the primary or effential condition of all po litical fociety, till it became difputed by thofe zealots of anarchy, who have denied to the parliament of Britain the right of taxing the American colonies. In favour of this exemption of the Americans from the authority of their lawful fovereign, and the dominion of their mother-country, very loud clamours have been raised, and many wild affertions advanced, which by fuch as borrow their opinions from the reigning fafhion have been admitted as arguments; and what is ftrange, though their tendency is to leffen English honour, and English power, have been heard by English-men with a wifh to find them true. Pallion has in its first violence controlled intereft, as the eddy for a while runs against the ftream. To be prejudiced is always to be weak; yet there are prejudices fo near to laudable, that they have been often praifed, April, 1775. and are always pardoned. To love their country has been confidered as virtue in men, whose love could not be otherwife than blind, because their preference was made without a comparison; but it never has been my fortune to find, either in ancient or modern writers, any honourable mention of thofe, who have with equal blindnefs hated their country. Thefe antipatriotic prejudices are the abortions of folly impregnated by faction, which being produced against the ftanding order of nature, have not ftrength fufficient for long life. They are born only to fcream and perith, and leave those to contempt or deteftation, whofe kindnefs was employed to nurse them into mischief. To perplex the opinion of the public many artifices have been used, which, as ufually happens when falfehood is to be maintained by fraud, lose their force by counteracting one another. The nation is fometimes to be mollified by a tender tale of men, who fled from Tyranny to rocks and deferts; and is perfuaded to lofe all claims of justice, and all fenfe of dignity, in compaffion for a harmless people, who having worked hard for bread in a wild country, and obtained by the flow progreffion of manual industry the accommodations of life, are now invaded by the unprecedented oppreffion, and plundered of their properties by the harpies of taxation. We are told how their industry is obftructed by unnatural restraints, and their trade confined by rigorous prohibitions; how they are forbidden to enjoy the product of their own foil, to manufacture the materials which nature spreads before them, or to carry their own goods to the nearest market; and furely the generofity of English virtue will never heap new weight upon those that are already overladen, will never delight in that dominion, which cannot be exercifed but by cruelty and outrage. But while we are melting in filent forrow, and in the tranfports of delicious pity dropping both the word and balance from our hands, another friend of the Americans thinks it better to awaken another paffion, and tries to alarm our intereft, or excite our veneration, by accounts of their greatnefs and their opulence, of the fertility of their lands, and the fplendor of their towns. We then begin to confider the queftion with more evennefs of mind, are ready to conclude that thofe reftrictions are not very oppreffive which have been found confiftent Ee with this fpeedy growth of profperity, But we are then told that the Americans, however wealthy, cannot be taxed; that they are the defcendants of men who left all for liberty, and that they have conftantly preferved the principles and ftubbornness of their progenitors; that they are too obftinate for perfuafion, and too powerful for constraint; that they will laugh at argument, and defeat violence; that the continent of North America contains three millions, not of men merely, but of Whigs, of Whigs fierce for liberty, and difdainful of dominion; that they multiply with the fecundity of their own rattle-fnakes, fo that every quarter of a century doubles their numbers. Men accustomed to think themselves mafters do not love to be threatened, This talk is, I hope, commonly thrown away, or raifes paffions different from thofe which it intended to excite. Inftead of terrifying the English hearer to tame acquiefcence, it difpofes him to haften the experiment of bending obftinacy before it is become yet more obdurate, and convinces him that it is neceffary to attack a nation thus prolific while we may yet hope to prevail. When he is told through what extent of territory we muft travel to fubdue them, he recollects how far, a few years ago, we travelled in their defence. When it is urged they will fhoot up like the Hydra, he naturally confiders how the Hydra was destroyed. Nothing dejects a trader like the interruption of his profits. A commercial people, however magnanimous, farinks at the thought of declining traffick, and an unfavourable balance. The effect of this terror has been tried. We have been stunned with the importance of our American commerce, and heard of merchants with ware-houfes that are never to be emptied, and of manufacturers ftarving for want of work. That our commerce with America is profitable, however lefs than oftentatious or deceitful eftimates have made it, and that it is our intereft to preferve it, has never been denied; but furely it will be moft effectually preferved, by being kept always in our own power. Conceffions may promote it for a moment, but fuperiority only can enfure its continuance. There will always be a part, and always a very large part of every April, community that have no care but for themselves, and whofe care for themselves reaches little farther than impatience of immediate pain, and eagerness for the peculiar nicety. They who look but litgood. The blind are faid to feel with tle into futurity, have perhaps the quickest desire is not of glory, but of gain; fenfation of the present. A merchant's emolument; he is therefore rarely to be not of the public wealth, but of private confulted about war and peace, or any defigns of wide extent and diftant confequence. Yet this, like other general characters, mingham have refcued themselves from will fometimes fail. The traders of Birall imputation of narrow selfishness by a manly recommendation to parliament of the right and dignity of their native country. an abfurd and enthufiaftic contempt of To thefe men I do not intend to afcribe intereft, but to give them the rational and just praife diftinguishing real from feeming good, of being able to fee thro' the cloud of interpofing difficulties, to the lafting and folid happiness of victory and fettlement. fhould fail, the great actor of patriLet all these topicks of perfuafion otifm has tried another, in which terror and pity are happily combined, not without a proper fuperaddition of that admiration which latter ages have brought into the drama. The heroes of Boston, he tells us, if the Stamp-Act had not been repealed, would have left their town, their port, and their trade, have refigned the fplendor of opulence, and quitted the delights of neighbourhood, where they would till the ground, and to difperíe themfelves over the country, fithin the rivers, and range the mountains, and be free. Thefe furely are brave words. If the traders of Birmingham little merited, as mere |
