Appendix. 387

no Intention of raising Supplies for His Majesty's Service, nor of
affording this House an Opportunity of coming to an Agreement
with them, at a less Expence than that of His Majesty's Preroga-
tives, and the Peoples Liberties, by a total Subversion of our present
Constitution, and lodging the several Powers thereof, now equally
distributed for the Preservation of the Whole, in their Hands ? And
if their warmest Professions appear thus destitute of Truth and
Candour, what Regard are we to pay to those so often repeated by
yourselves?" I have given you the Passage entire, because it is a
Master-Piece, both as to Language and Matter. It puts me in Mind
of a little Country Court Attorney, who has a Right to speak last
in a Cause, and from that Confidence fumes, bounces and bullies,
treats his Antagonist with all the Billingsgate of the Bar, loads him
with Calumnies and indecent Reflections, and utters, in a Style of
declamatory Vehemence, whatever may tend to blacken and vilify the
other Party, without the least Regard to Truth, Candour, or com-
mon Decency. Some of the Dirt may stick, a gaping Jury may be
deluded and misled by the last Word, or if he should miss of both
these Aims, his Zeal will certainly recommend him to his Client, and
confirm him in his Business. When the Sentiments and Diction of
this choice Groupe of rhetorical Ornaments, and the Circumstance
of an immediate Prorogation upon the Back of the Message being
sent down, are considered, the Similitude so far holds good, and the
blustering Pettifogger stares us in the Face. But it must be con-
fessed, that the Views of recommending and confirming, are Cir-

Contempo-
rary Printed
Pamphlet
Md.Hist.Soc.
p. 30

cumstances which cannot be admitted into the Comparison, because

the Upper House being an independent Branch of the Legislation,

and the constitutional Guardians of the Peoples Rights, cannot be
supposed to be under the Motives which those Words seem to inti-
mate, so that, except for filling up a Chasm, and rounding the Period,
they might as well have been left out.
It is easy to affirm, but often hard to support that Affirmation by
the Facts themselves. The Supply Bill, here so much abused, is
printed, and brought to public View; and I need give the first Part
of this extraordinary Passage, that is, "That other Plans, more just
and equal, less intricate in their Nature, and liable to fewer Objec-
tions than the Assessment Bill, have been heretofore proposed to the
Lower House, and no sooner proposed than voted out," no other
Answer, than to let the Reader know, that the other Plans here
alluded to, and I believe the only Ones that have been openly pro-
posed since the Mode of Taxation has been under Contest between
the two Houses, are the three following, and let him make the
Comparison himself. The first was in February, 1755, for a general
Pole Tax of One Shilling and Six-pence per Pole, for raising the
Sum granted; which was voted out Thirty-six to Ten. The second
was in March Session, 1758, by which the Money was proposed to

p. 31