. : 'may 'si jiffs! ' '.':H.:fe--i f;;: ;
JUL-, aL-JL ; 'XiSL2lV'i-!L lir&': 3fJ
5ft Sr 4t?ft .Tj?S S" V u"r!S
nx '4ivrtv 'iw 'tirr -vi-' rie . r'Mrjv'ivJ' h; Aivw -. flfiif v -'ivrv
... l. . i : t .. . ' : . ..
, . - SE'MPPR PROrLIBERTAT T BONO PUBLICO;' ; . :v ; ,
The SPEECH of the- Tight Honourable the Earl of
CHAT HA My it the JHoufe of .Lords, , Jan. 20,
1 77 5 on the following Motion made by his -Lotdjhip.
That an-humble Addrefs be prefented to his
Majeity, mbft humbly "to advife and befecchhim
that in order to open a Wa- towards an happy
.Settlement of. the danger. Troubles in Ameri
im", hy ,tcginnin 3 to allay. Ferments- and foften j
JAnirupfitie3 there ; and above all) or preventing"
in the'mcan Time, any fudden and. fatal Cata
' ' ftrophe at Bolton, ' now fuffering tinder the daily
"j Jrritati6K of.an .Army . before their, Eyes, and
- - ported in their Town. -It may graciauHy pleafe.
-his Maiefty, that immediatVOrder? bedifpatched
' 1 jn . ' . - ". ---1 l -,r-f-
n
to General Gage for'temovhiplfi Mdjefly's Forces
from the Tvwn ofBofion, as loon as tnc Rigour
of "thei "Sfcafon7" and"other" Circum'iJances TndifT"
penfable to the- Safety and Accommodation of
JhJaldJJ2p,.rv,edirJ!4-,jfv.
ble." ' . . , . , .
My Lords, ' " " '
RISE with va;l Aftonifiment to fee thefe
Papers brought to your Tab a in fo late
a Period of-this'Bufin'efs ; Papers;litn
fi'je;the .Contents of which are already
known, not only to , every Lord in -the
Houfe, but almolt' to", every Perfon in the
Kingdom who has made Americar Affairs
Sn the leaH an Objeft ot Enquiry ; yet now, in the '
very Tail oFthis Bufinefs, when Mcafures" hould
vjie long fmcc determined on, wc arc furnilhed with
.yhy, what all the World knew" beforethat
by.Wrphs, ftriptof theif inborn Rights and deareft
Refolutions and Petitions of the lbber, ;'rcfpelable
and difpaffibnate ; but. the very Dregs and .Refufe
of the People; and. to circulate this Report the bet
ter, Letters are handed about .from fome very ref-
petfable Merchants (as they arecalfed)t-from the v
, ditterent Provinces. But. vJ'elH. know iiow to. de
' fcribe fuch Merchants littte 'piltry, pedling Fel-
' lOvs, -Vendersjjf two PeWiy' Wesj; and htjoodsr;
vffu.) under the"ldca.of,;i lell'cvvrVl'fttng 'in
their Power Iohour TrAltand Conciefite't -
' . Thefe Fellows (for fpchJ is the Lot of Humn iry)
arc ever to be found in ai( Conn'tries--and are alr
- ways . in ' creat plen ry t when their Coun trv is z.t
Stake, -.who, .without ever tevardih"Ccnfcqoep.CM.
.and that general Ruinjmght enfae, prefs ' forward lui
to the Goal of Lucre,- ind cut out thelhortelt Pat (z
et thele are t
Jake .a true .$tatc
aa upon the mo-
World i. who have j
their rufca , , their Tkfure's, .and cie peaceable
Enjoyn.vntof their dearca-Couneaiont-a'I br
.Sake of liberty, .will be .whipped into. VaffJIw
like S!a eV Why, my JJords, this Condud j
Governmcnis fofanta:' m! and irrial m .PmAw.
that it'by.fa: eveeeds tj- - Inldcic. Wing of poetry,; '.:
. for Poetry has often read Iea:lng, .as well as in
Jlru4rjverttrTs M . ,ud though ifme-.; -tinieif-auiufcs
IwrWf i.f.ftditti, -that -iiction. til
p:eaie; .inorsw be fewndei oil .Vrsfimilitudi.. Unt
inthis wife Syrian Acre ii nothing Tike Tiulh, up
' tJunfj like .Policy, nothi-g like Juiiicc; ExpeHeace
or cocuntm Senl'er.v ; -
-.vrc crnment lo-tap trora one
mg its I'.yes to the ihcy.ar.d di
deArudUe Con-' '
111CV .171 a V ravaW fhfl I 'Anntr.t,
tUC WOrld t who haveino fixed Reiidcnceno tVaite and flplrhw f'- . .L.. .l. n
- .Attachments, but 'to the Shrine of Mammon. . But fjefs t feventeen Ha: Lrcvl Milei.. cau .thcv-occnv
PJaces tceyJiave-;ifitMVill ftoTa'Counixyi
which can produce thrc? Millions of People, wrong
.cd arfd intuited as th-vare: Nrn.n HW Hrr.,c .
'1 - a .. - " . ... . .,. ,
it is hot fuch that ever.fpk'the.Voiceof'a People,
"if is the Pi-oprietors and Tillers of the Gro'und
Men who have a permanent, natural Right in the
J"a:e and who Lorn being ttuiftd in the Boftfar
ofCultivatiot;' form ilrcng and. honojrable At
'tachmcuts to their Coup try ; it is to thefe Credit"
and Authority are to bp ivcn, amd from thefe onr
uen informations arc to oe crawn. -
ry Coiner, andgat: ?rffcflibtrcn?thfrorai;rJh()D-
j'oiitiqu ? What bep, .lance can ypu have upon rh
They are Enirlimme
tn-sn and their can
rrivueges, nave rer.ueu,- auu tiucrtu niiu hiuu
.'tioris forthercfervation of )hat 1ilejftr.g to, which
Xife and Property are but fewtndary Conhderations.
Tom ot. A... fM AW..- n . .... .1 a.. I
this aMheir IaftRefoi?ce-,iivas of Parliament thren f Surely ,l
(fay their Advocates) 'krz lacred,, and -lhould be lieeat-
. . Give me Leave to afii you, my Lords, bowthefs
Have thofc egates ? beci; 'j-vned , pr have.,
great Interett, gre!at Powerrdr great Threats been
ufed (as is tou. much the Cafe in this our boailed
Mother Country) to craybn out what Conduct they
Ihould adopt ? No notfiirig like tins has appear
ed ;- the Electors fcem to be'prdmpted By no other
Motive than that glorious and exalted one, the Pre
fervatioH of their cofomon Liberties .and .under this
Idea they have been induced to appoint Men com
petent to fo great an Undertaking Men of tried
. and found Principles; embarked in the fune -great
Caufe, and, from n"tnilar.Sentiments taugnt to
-pity the Miferies of ihcJ-Vboie,
Inverted then with this Right (the Chdice of
free People) thefe Delegates hive deliberated with
Pr'udcncei Wifdom: and Spirit; and, in Confe
. auence of 4heir Deliberations; have ; addrcfled tjie
Jufli- e and Honour of this Country. , This is their
Faultthis is their Crime petitioning for, that
without which a free. People canndt t pollibly exifl j
,. yet, for afltihg this Boon, the unalienable Privilege
of Englilhmen, are they reprobated, and ftigr.ia-
ti7ed .with the Epithets of Jug rafts Tracers- and
..ReltU. .;.,t.v-
: ., Had the early Situation f the People of Bof.
ton been attended to, Things would not have come
to this but the infant Complaint, of Boftori were
I'ttralh.tTCittA like the capricious Squatfs of a CoiUf
who, ifwasfaid, did not know whether it was sg-
Evil : but on an Evil which fapped the very Vitals
of .their ConftitutKNvand redred alj the great
'Bleffings of Xife to Chancei Equivocation and In
fecurity. , Fall well I knew that the Sons of Ati
teilori born under the fame free Con fti union, and
once breathing the fame liberal Air as Engliflimen,
Anccftors, who even quitted this Land of Liberty,
the Moment it. became the 'Land of Oppreflion,
and, in ReAftance to bigoted Councils, and op-
breiTive Meafurej, tore thcmfelvci from their dcarel
Connexions : T fay,' full well I knew, that th
Offspring of fuch Anceflors would rcfiil upon the
'Tame Principles, anion the fame Occafions.
It has, however, gorfe abroad, that the Refoluti
ons and Petitions of the (Jongrcfs, arc 'not the real
'the whole of the American Pepm then i7
4jcrta in at the Tfible ty Lerd Dartmouth, at the Com-
nana of hit Mnjejtj,
) Engirtes"of your Wrath
ami mcll leel -for Jinsiilh-
. r. -Kiin. i nl,... v '
-; - Much,-. my LoitisVhU lcea faid 3bout thfc ' An- I bout then, furejy, ( ;e not exclude i hem from ithe
uiu.iij- ui idiuaucui , uii-jc v,aics, auu, wncn ' raie or cuu locimtnty.. Do vou think thif br
' ulUi;nuii) agMnii meir ere
ca Fjidcry ulti be to them 4 '
-,i crtcnhce, . ,- .
I - But it is not taut ly three Millions. of People, the
.Produce of Ataenca, : we have to romhat xvrh in
f). onnaturars'tfcgl; manymore are on.theif
Z, "'v lvc acc VI i .wiae empire.
;lljver'whir in this C.v.inft-i rn - ty.i i-.
Wlioiilav now hc'Wmiflii.. :a:.. . ..t . i
once come to be roufed t0 a Senfe of Aecollmn .
when they come to weigh the great Eine of Right;
r w.n'cn ineif brethren in America are contend- 1 -ir.g,
the Scnfe of their own Danger will initruOt
..win jangc inemietvcs on their jide '
Who then, in the Name of Heaven, coiild ad- 1
Viie this Meafure i Or who can rmuinn n
' this ftrarge aod oncooftitntipnal Advice ? I do not
mean to ievei at on- Man,'or any particular Set of
Men but thus much J wilL declare, that if hia
Majeity coauhnss to hear fuch Counfellors, he will
V7 - . i "v ,4," ukdoni. tit may
jvefer his Crown, indeed, it is true, but it will not
be .worth his wearing; robbed of fo principal a
Jewel as -.America, it will iofe .its Laftre, and-nb '
longer tyam that Effulgence which iliould irradiate
l;5.0f Mjcfty. What then ij to becomeicf
this boafted Ccfuntry of England, once fo renowned "
!? A"v.a,-W?!1 " Arms What is .become of.her
Cohlhtution, that Jus hitherto been the Wonderj
as well as 'the Envy of Grounding NatbnsT Hzi
lhc changed- hcrrivil Power, and fulutary Xaws for
Yi'iW Code?. Or -has Ihe transferred herat
of Empire to Conftantinople f Has ihe, , who hai '
often lhcd her deareft Blood in the manly Refillanoe
of Defpotifm, now not only tamely fobmittcd to it,
but fat down herfelf to forge the irbhrary Chains '
But ourprcfent Governors, alas ! think fo little
ot this Matter, that I hear General Gage has been
thought to havradled too tardy iij this. JJofincfs- .
that he has not been fwift enough to execute Vcnfce
ance, and fliaathe the Sw'ord iu the Bowels of Ms
Countrymen. - I really pity the unfortunate Situa
tion of that Gentleman, wljo has approved himfelf
on many Occafions a gallant Soldier, and humme
Man j for what? From being under the difarrera
We Predicament of doing his Duty oh the one Side,
and his own Feelings of JufHce and Polity on the
other i what a Conflict muft he have ! Jlii -Situate
on, my Lords puts me in mind of a limilar TranF
aaipn in the civil Wrs of France, when the great
Conde on one Side, and Marflial Turenne on the
other, commanded difTertnt Armies; the latter
confetous' what terrible Confiqucnres a ViOnrr.'
mult produce to himfelf and Country, though often
in his Power, avoided Blows as much as rcfflblr.
After the Affair was over, the Marflial was thua
reprimanded at Court for ret at.lcalt taking the
Prince Pcurquoi net avizitui pat frit f jjm that
(jencral very fenfibly replied, rarest. Sire, jln
Itixntfait, -jut Taris, tn rene, jj?mitiu
implicitly fubmitted ttf-Rr.if ;the : fapreme - power"'
, ..does not lodge lomewrjrr: cperativ ly and erFecttve--'?y,
there mtu be an If A cf all Legillation !"- -
, But, my Lordsj jheyAvjo argue," or. rither dogma-
oze in this -Manncrdi net fee ihe Whole of this
;in aJLfree States the CbnnitDticn ii fixed, and all ,
legifiative Power and Authority, wherever placed,
either in collective Bodies, or .individually, mull
.derive under that Conftitution who framed them.
Acts of Legillation' therefore, however liron and
enechve they may be, , when they are framed in the
C.V.-.' nf tUi, fftli..t:rik .. ........ .U ,.... I. -" 1 2-
attack their own Foundation ; for it is the ConlU
t tit ion, and it alone, that limits both Sovereignty"
arid Allegiance.
This 1-oclrine, my. Lords, is no temporary Doc
trine, taken up on. particular Occalions to anfwer
partkulat.PiLpofeiUjinv.uLr
heal iJoubts and lntricaciej but clear precifaand
determined it is rqcjded in'all our Law,JJook.3i
it is writtenf in the greit Volume of Nature it U
the eflential, unalterable Right of Englilhmen-it
accords with all he 'Principles of Juftice and civil
Tolicy, which ticyMqt dtcd Force ott the one Sidej
nor SubmiJJion on the other, .can, .upon any Occasi
on whatever, eradicate. 1 . '
It was this Doftrine that was the great Guide
and Spirit to the Frame! of the tfill of Rights at
the Period of the glorioui Revolution Men of the
grcatelt Accuracy, Wiilom and Honelly j and
without any l)ifparagemdt to the prefent Day, few'
fuch . Counfellors are ncir to be icen. Recolkc))
my Lords, for a Moment! the Arguments ufed b
' thefe Men and fee how ife, literal, and :gnlti-
tutional they were. turn hen to their' Opponents,
ana, now uimiey,:tnin, jea unprovided they ap-
frrieved or not. But fuUvcll I kflew, at that Tinvj
that this ChiU, if not rcdrefied, would foonefume
the Counige and Voice of a Man. , 1 he BoltoniaPi- pear ! If then we applaud ur Ancellors for obtain
did not, then complain upon . flight, or temporary ' ing fuch Liberties ior us, It a Time when al! th
Rights of.r.ngbihmen wit trampled urbrt, and
Defpoufn liad trodden dcn the Laws, furely we
caonoti in Rtafon, deny jhat Portion of Liberty
If. I II.. - J t. Lll -f." It . .
y naruiy anu nonouraDit ootainco; to Our Own
Brethren Brethren by thl.fv.ne common Parent,
and who are unqueltionabi Heirs of the fame glo
rious jaberitaricc. . J , , ,
The Fatts being then, is I have A'ted them,
what has Government dbni? They, have fent an
armed Force, confining cfll)ovcj'tvffr ThotfahJ
Men, to oragoon tlie iiolloians into what is called
their Duty, and for the thaftifement of a fmall
, Rabble, corfifung cf the nteilitous and charactcr-
lefs m doing an unlawful At, have involved above
thirty Thoufard Inhabitantin the create A Diflicul-
ty, Oppreflion and ConUenition; Is this the Way
to win Men to their Duty, rid recover in them the
Principles of. Affection and litifii Allegiance f Do
you think, that Men who cAld be rouicd to forego