STATE, &c.

OVERNMENT was inftituted for the

Gov

good of the fubject; to fecure the peace, the happiness, and the prosperity of the fociety: and all Governments are so far defpotic, as they are perverted from these principles. Unfortunately for mankind, in looking over the map of the world, we fee few countries, or states, where these objećts are properly attended to; or, where the people enjoy that political rank and liberty, which nature designed for them.

The British nation ftands peculiarly diftinguished in this refpect; bleffed with a conftitution founded on clear and

generous

principles, where the executive and legislative powers are fo wonderfully organized, as to have fecured to the subject all the advantages which flow from focial liberty.

To antiquity, fuch a fyftem was an object of mere fpeculation; but its excellence is now the pride of England, and the admiration of the world: its principles are drawn from the pureft and plainest reason, and directed to the most important ends of humanity and government; the restraints which it impofes, on the individual, operate as his protection; equal laws fecure to him equal rights; and he lives, the free citizen of a free ftate; his property fecured, and his liberty protected, by the common interest which the whole community has in their vindication, when threatened or invaded. One of the principal and fundamental maxims of that conftitution is, that the people are allowed to participate in the legiflative authority: and although the reprefenfation

fentation is not fo general, as by fome may be deemed confiftent with the rights of the whole people, it will be fufficient for us to obferve, that it is to the Commons' House of Parliament, that these kingdoms are indebted for the freedom of the government, and the liberty of the subject.

Representation therefore has ever been confidered as the inherent right of every British subject; they enjoy it in Britain; and in fettling diftant colonies, or conquered provinces, the British government has constantly acknowledged the maxim, by allowing the people a representative body in the legislature of each colony or province respectively. One province only has been restrained from the exercise of this privilege -the province of Quebec-though we trust we shall be able to fhew, that there is nothing in its fituation, or in the conduct of its inhabitants, which will justify its being

fo peculiarly marked, as if unworthy to enjoy the privileges of British subjects.

There is not any thing of fo much importance to the inhabitants of a country, as the nature of their government. Nor is there any political queftion, which involves in its difcuffion confequences more extenfive, or more seriously interefting, than that which respects the claims to a free conftitution, of a people labouring under the oppreffion of an arbitrary government. No objects therefore can be more ftrongly entitled to the ferious attention and difcuffion of the British legiflature, than the complaints from the province of Quebec; more particularly as thefe complaints have proceeded from the oppreffive operation of its own folemn act, which excluded that branch of the British empire from the exercise and enjoyment of privileges, confirmed and protected by the conftitution of England.

Confident