Page:A Declaration of the People's Natural Right to a Share in the Legislature (1775) (IA declarationofpeo00shar).djvu/18

[ viii ] deed that he has literally cited the corrupt maxim, but he has manifestly laid principle in the Government and Police of France,‭ ‬viz.‭ ‬the pernicious and dangerous Policy of maintaining a standing army‭; ‬for which the people were compelled to provide quarters and provisions,‭ ‬in all the‭ ‬great towns and villages.

Also the abominable oppression of the Salt-Tax,‭ ‬whereby the poor were compelled to purchase of the‭ ‬King a certain quantity of Salt‭ (‬whether they chose to‭ ‬have it or not‭) ‬at an excessive price‭; ‬by which,‭ ‬together with the assessments to pay the troops‭, ‬and various other tallage rateable at the King's pleasure,‭ ‬the‭ ‬common people were reduced to extreme penury,‭ ‬and‭ ‬want of every comfort in life.‭ ‬And,‭ ‬with respect to‭ ‬persons of higher rank,‭ ‬if any Nobleman or Gentleman was accused of a crime,‭ ‬even by his enemies,‭ ‬he‭ ‬was liable to be dragged to a private examination,‭ ‬by the intermediation of messengers in the King's chamber,‭ ‬or elsewhere,‭ ‬in a private place,‭ ‬without seeing‭ ‬his accusers,‭ (‬himself alone being seen‭); ‬and,‭ ‬when‭ ‬the King‭ (‬or perhaps his Minister‭) ‬has been pleased to‭ ‬judge him guilty,‭ ‬the poor passive Subject popped‭ ‬into a sack,‭ ‬and in the night-time cast into the river‭ ‬by the Marshal's servants.‭ ‬Howsoever incredible‭ such abominable injustice may appear to Englishmen,‭ ‬yet the worthy Chancellor,‭ ‬who wrote this account for‭ ‬the instruction of Edward Prince of Wales‭ (‬the son‭ ‬of King Henry VI.‭) ‬when in France,‭ ‬appeals to the‭ ‬young prince's own knowledge of the notoriety of such‭ fact‬s:‭ “‬You have heard,‭" (s‬ays he,‭) “‬that more‭ ‬men‭ (‬by much‭) ‬have died in this manner than by‭ ‬the ordinary course of justice‭; ‬yet nevertheless” ‬(says he ironically‭) “whatsoever hath pleased ‬the King (according to the Civil Law‭ ) ‬has the force of Law.‭ And ‬while you have been in France,‭ ‬and in the‭ neigh‬bourhood of that Kingdom,‭” (‬continues the‭