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there is a tide in the affairs of men,

Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune." Admiral Rodney, at this time, experienced the truth of it. Difagreements and disputes at home, and mifconduct of various kinds, had difgufted many of our beft officers, and driven them from the fervice. Thefe circumstances had paved the way for his being employed again. He was immediately appointed to command the fleet going to the Weft-Indies, and the confequences are too recent to require being here recapitulated.

So remarkable has been the fortune of the gallant admiral, fince he came into employment, that it leaves that of all other officers at a distance. It is peculiar to this commander, that he has taken three flags, and has atchieved the moft brilliant victories which have been gained in the courfe of the prefent war. On the late change of miniftry he was recalled, and raised to the peerage by the file and title of Baron Rodney, of Stoke Rodney, in the county of Somerfet.

At a Meeting of the CONSTITUTIONAL SOCIETY, beld on Friday, September the 6th, 1782.

UR

[Continued from page 130.]

records of its foundation; and the first historians are only evidences of its exiftence. But, notwithstanding this obfcurity, we may, on a nice infpection, difcover the motives that gave rife to fome of those wife inftitutions which fecure the people's freedom; and it was, undoubtedly, to guard against fuch inconve niencies as I have defcribed, that they referved the right of reelecting their reprefentatives, as often as the executive magiftrate should call upon them for fresh supplies or advice; and by this prudent precaution, they retained the power of rejecting thofe, who, through a change of circumstances, appeared unworthy of further confidence, or were even fufpected of being under improper influence.

A long neglect of this excellent old cuftom, has caufed the Houfe of Commons to degenerate into a fixed and powerful body, that has fo little connection with the people, that it is not, as formerly, a jealous guardian of their property, and per fonal rights, on the contrary, a dangerous engine of op preffion; and is well known, that the far greater part of

those

those who compofe it, only confult how to render their fituation profitable to themselves.

However, notwithstanding the defection is unjustifiable, let us not fuppofe that in private life they have lefs virtue than their neighbours. Extending the duration of the Houfe of Commons, first to three, and then to seven years, created a separate interest to your own; and it required in your reprefentatives extraordinary public fpirit, to forbear to take advantage of fuch a circumftance. Those who have refifted this temptation, certainly merit the warmest approbation; but we muit not reprobate too feverely all who have yielded to fo powerful a feducer. Self-intereft, rightly understood, is an incentive to good actions; and a well-informed people will never fubmit to any political establishment, that shall set it at variance with public welfare.

The antient mode of electing reprefentatives annually, made it the intereft of each individual to be as juft in his public capacity, as in his private and only reftore that falutary practice, and you will find an upright reprefentative as common a character as a faithful fervant in any other relation.

:

The Houfe of Commons having loft its independency, various ineffectual laws have been made to regulate parliament, and to prevent bribery and corruption. But when that House, in the cafe of the Middlefex election, acted unjustly, we fought in vain for fome legislative power to correct and over-rule its judgements. The only controul the conftitution had provided, and the best too that could be devised, was the power of rejecting, at the next fummons to parliament, the men who had fo fhamefully abused their trust; and of electing others more wife and honeft to reverse that infamous decifion.

The moving principle of our conftitution is annual election. It is the main fpring of the political machine: by a feven-fold extenfion, its elaftic force has been deftroyed; but only reftoré it to its due proportion, and you will fee it act as vigorously and justly as ever.

Some have called the power of the legislative body omnipotent. The expreffion is too ftrong; but undoubtedly its authority is great; and the provifion made by the constitution against the abufe of it, can never be fufficiently commended. Perceiving that it was difficult to prescribe bounds to its activity, without detriment to the ftate, the duration of a part of it was wifely limited in fuch a manner, that it was diffolved by the operation of time; and, without the leaft difor er, every year renewed by the election of a new houfe of reprefentatives.

The dictatorship at Rome refembled, in fome refpects, the li mited authority of the British fenate. For fix months the dic

tator

tator was abfolute and uncontroulable; but his power expired at the end of that term. The perpetual dictatorfhips of Sylla and Julius Cæfar were violations of juftice, and infringements of the conftitution, fimilar to thofe of our legislature in paffing the feptennial act; and this modern ufurpation will terminate in the fame manner, if we, like the degenerate Romans, unmindful of the virtue of our ancestors, and the happiness of pofterity, procure not its repeal.

But befides the feptennial act, we have another heavy griev ance to correct. The far greater part of the people being unjuftly deprived of the right of election, loft all influence in government, and with it, I am forry to fay, too generally all public fpirit. They confidered themselves as individuals who had no country, and confequently no interest to take care of, but what was, in the ftricteft fenfe, felfish and partial. This, and the fpirit of rapacity introduced among people in a more elevated ftation by the triennial and feptennial acts, occafioned fuch a general languor, and indifference in public concerns, that at length the moft virtuous of all characters were treated with ridicule; and he who had fortitude enough to discover a patriotic spirit, befides the facrifice of tranquility, and private intereft, had, almoft without fupport, to contend with the united force of foolish derifion, malignant calumny, and the rancorous envy of confcious prostitution!

Such a renunciation of political virtue, was like to produce great diforder; and, alas ! it is true, that of late years all has been anarchy and confufion. The fyftem of corruption is arrived very near to that period, when an univerfal defpondency may be expected to feize us; and, in that general panic, like the inhabitants of a house in flames, every one will snatch up what he can, and fecure a retreat. Thefe are not the effufions of fancy; they are impartial deductions from undifputed facts; and he must be inattentive to a fuperlative degree, that does not difcern our awful fituation, and the neceffity to which we are reduced of adopting fome plan of reformation, that will revive, in the heart of every Briton, a love of his country.

When the reprefentation of the boroughs was fettled, no care was taken to provide for the alterations that a fucceffion of years might produce; and, in confequence of that omiffion, members are now frequently fent by a very few of the inhabitants of a large town; or by places fo inconfiderable, that they are either the fole proprty of an individual, or fo much under his influence, that they often contain not a fingle voter who is independent. A gentleman, [Capel Lofft, Efq;] to whom the public is much indebted, as well as this society, has lately fhewn,

that

that forty-eight members are chofen by three hundred and ninety-four electors, in fuch boroughs as I have defcribed. It is difficult to be accurate in a calculation of this kind; but no error can be fuppofed, that in the least affects the argument for a reform, if we confider that the whole kingdom of Scotland. fends only forty-five members to parliament !-Facts like thefe, furely need no comment. Is it not the groffeft delufion, and moft poignant infult, to call fuch a reprefentation the voice of the people?

To fay that a few may be authorised, by charters or acts of parliament, to exercise this right for the whole, is repugnant to every true principle of policy and juftice. The legislature is fubordinate to the power that created it, and cannot make a law that will prejudice those rights which that power has referved.

Befides, to fend reprefentatives to parliament being the peculiar privilege of the commons, the peers, who act for themselves, are excluded from interfering in elections; then how can they be parties in making a law that shall alter or take away the right of election ?

To fend reprefentatives to parliament, is an undelegated portion of natural liberty in all the commons of Great Britain.It is unconnected with, and totally, independent of, the legiflative authority. The legislature was created by an act of fovereignty, iffuing from the rights vefted by nature in the whole body of the people, and is unalterable by any other power. To each branch it affigned diftinct privileges, whofe object was the public good: and, by virtue of this all-controuling authority, they became legal rights, for the ufes prefcribed. To enlarge the bounds of them to the oppreffion of the people, is a diffolution of the focial compact; and protection and allegiance being reciprocal, the community, by fuch acts, is released from the obligations to fubmiffion.

The alterations made in our government by the inequality of reprefentation, and feptennial parliaments, have induced fome to believe that it is in its nature inferior to a republic. But it is an ill-founded opinion; and, on reflection, we fhall perceive that great advantages may be derived from three independent powers mutually checking and aiding each other, as the public intereft fhall require.

This incomparable fyftem of political jurifdiction unites the energy of an abfolute monarchy, with the eelity and perfonal fecurity of the freeft republic. However, the fuperiority I now afcribe to it, I am forry to fay, is become ideal; and, were it not for the probability of amendment, there would be no great

lofs

lofs if its form was abolished; for it is fo corrupted by innova tions, that it has moft of the imperfections of an arbitrary ftate, without its vigour and independence.

All ranks, from the king to the meaneft subject, are interested in restoring the conftitution to that perfection we now only admire; for, when in a state long used to freedom, the legislative authority is converted into an engine of oppreffion, or of useless pageantry, the reflecting part of the community become difcontented, clamours enfue, and, if one party be indifcreet, and the other fpirited, thefe contentions often terminate in infurrections, and always in acts of difrefpect and ungraciousness, that make both the fovereign and his fubjects unhappy. Would to God we had no evidence to juftify fuch an affertion! But, alas! we have all feen it verified; and if we continue infatuated, and do not correct the caufe, I fear we shall foon feel it true in its utmoft extent.

Let not the name of faction frighten you. There are times when the greatest service a good citizen can render to the state is to excite apprehenfion. Had our forefathers been difmayed by the imputation of fedition, they would not have left to their defcendents either civil or religious liberty. The evils to be apprehended from inactivity are far greater, and more certain, than any that can arife from an attempt to recover your rights. But were it otherwife, when the body is attacked by a malignant dif order, is it not better to take an unpleasant draught, than to perifh by the disease?

We fee, for our encouragement, what Ireland has performed, without the least tumult. Do you think that her brave volunteers could have acquired in their houfes and fhops the freedom they now enjoy? They faw their country reduced to poverty by fubmiffion to an external legislature: they enquired, and found that they had a right to a free conftitution; and, without reflecting on partial inconveniencies, they gallantly refolved to reclaim it. With retrenchments from luxury, they armed to oppofe the enemies of Ireland-but virtue fo confpicuous was refpected, and they found only friends!

What they expended fo honourably, will be paid with tenfold intereft. Prior to this glorious exertion, the poor were idle and licentious; the trader apprehenfive of bankruptcy; and a rapid decrease in the value of land, and hofpitable and luxurious manners, caufed the nobility and gentry, who were not in the funshine of court Favour, to fhare in the general calamity: in fhort, though noth can be conceived more deplorable than their late fituation, to the astonishment of the world, their commerce is already revived, their credit re-eftablished, and a fpirit Vol. I. 7.

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