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U. H. J.
Liber No. 35
May 13
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The Duty we owe to our most gracious Sovereign, our immediate
Interest in the Event of an Expedition directed for our Protection,
the Honour and Credit of the Province and the Ease and Tranquillity
of the People we flattered ourselves would suggest to their Delegates
Motives of too animating and powerful a Nature to yield to any
Party Views, but we are extremely sorry to have so much Reason
to complain that at this Time when every Subject of Dispute ought
to be carefully shunned Points are pertinaciously insisted upon by
them which the most sanguine in a settled and quiet State of Affairs
would hardly presume to hint, as if this thro' a fatal Misconception
of the Interests of the People/ was deemed to be the proper Season
for extorting Concessions which could not be made without intro-
ducing a new System of Government, and vesting almost an unlimited
Power in the Lower House.
When we were called upon by the Lower House for our Objections
to the Supply Bill we communicated them without Reserve and hoped
that the plain and inoffensive Manner in which we complied with
this Request would have produced a candid Discussion and amicable
Settlement, but in this we were disappointed for instead of answering
with Temper they thought proper to insult us with Contumely and
affrontive Insinuations, but even this ill Treatment we should have
repressed our Resentment of had they not also declared to us their
Resolution that they would not listen to any Overtures for a general
and free Conference, the only means which remained for con-
ciliating or moderating a Diversity of Sentiments.
If the Authority challenged by them had been acknowledged by
us there would be little Occasion for an express Resolve that this
House is an unnecessary Branch of the Legislature, and the next
Step might be to Controul the Supreme Magistrate in his Exercise
of the executive Power measure out the Duty of Obedience to Gov-
ernment by the particular Convenience of each Individual, and awe
and intimidate the ordinary Jurisdictions by resolving standing Laws
to be null and void, or publishing Constructions of them to regulate
the Conduct of the Subject, and the Determination of his Judges.
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p. 359
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We are far from insinuating that a Design big with so much
Mischief is harboured by the present Members, we would hope that
their Prudence and Humanity would restrain them from pursuing a
Measure which could tend only to insnare the Ignorant who not dis-
tinguishing between the impotent Vehemence of Resolves and the
indispensible Obligation of the Laws might imagine that the former
would screen Delinquents from the necessary Penalties of the latter,
but when a Spirit of Innovation is encouraged in it's Progress Men
are hurried into unforeseen Extravagancies, and therefore we are
persuaded that your Excellency and all considerate and impartial
Persons will rather applaud than censure our Conduct in rejecting a
Bill framed upon Principles destructive of the Credit of the Province,
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