Page:An Answer to the Declaration of the American Congress.djvu/19



take effect, have any operation, till the royal aent was obtained? So far is this from being the cae, that in every Colony, there is a complete Colonial Legilature on the pot. In the Royal Governments, this Legilature conits of his Majety's Governor, the Council, and Houe of Aembly, or Repreentatives. By his commiion under the Great Seal, the Governor is authoried to give the Royal Aent to Bills preented to him by the Council and Aembly. From the moment of their receiving that aent, thee Bills become laws, have all the force and effect of laws. In this repect the Colonies have an advantage over Ireland. There a pecial commiion is required to empower the Lord Lieutenant to give the Royal Aent to each pecific Bill.

this power of aenting to laws not yet framed, is of the mot acred nature; too high to be intruted to the dicretion of any ubject without ome controul. The King, therefore, retains the power of diallowing all laws to which the Governor may have aented, and thereby voiding the Act, if it be found to be inconitent with the tenor of his intructions, the good of the particular province, or the welfare of the empire at large. In the Colony of Maachuet's Bay, this diallowance mut be ignified within three years; in that of Penylvania, within ix months from the time that the law is preented to the King in Council. In all the others without limitation of time.

power is exercied by the King in Council; it has been exercied by all his predeceors, from the firt etablihment of the Colonies; it is expresly reerved in all the Charters and Commiions which contitute