Page:Sketches of the life and character of Patrick Henry.djvu/456

 IV APPENDIX.

a measure ; that at least a cession of those rights, vvliich in their opinion must be infringed by that procedure, may not be infeiTed from their silence, at so important a crisis.

" They conceive it is essential to British liberty, that laws, imposing taxes on the people, ought not to be made without the consent of representatives chosen by themselves ; who, at the same time that they are acquainted with the circumstances of their constituents, sustain a portion of the burthen laid on them. The privileges, inherent in the persons who discovered and settled these regions, could not be renounced or forfeited by their removal hither, not as vagabonds or fugitives, but licensed and encouraged by their prince, and animated with a laudable desire of enlarging the British dominion, and extending its commerce : on the contrary, it was secured to them and their descendants, with all other rights and immunities of British subjects, by a royal charter, which hath been invariably recognised and confirmed by his Majestj'^and his predecessors, in their commissions to the several governors, granting a power, and prescribing a form of legislation ; according to which, laws for the administration of justice, and for the welfare and good govern- ment of the colony, have been hitherto enacted by the governor, council, and general assembly ; and to them, requisitions and applications for supplies have been directed by the crown. As an instance of the opinion which fornier sovereigns entertained of these rights and privileges, we beg leave to refer to three acts of the general assembly, passed in the 32d year of the reign of Idng CJiarlesll. (one of which is entitled 'An act for raising a public revenue for the better support of the govertiment of his Majesty^ s colony of Virginia^* im- posing several duties for that purpose), which being thought absolutely ne- cessary, were prepared in England^ and sent over by their then governour, the lord C^ilpeper^ to.be passed by the general assembly, with a full powder to give the royal assent thereto ; and which were accordingly passed, after seve- ral amendments were made to them here : thus tender was his Majesty of the rights of his American subjects ; and the remonstrants do not discern by what distinction they can be deprived of that sacred birthright and most valuable inheritance by their fellow subjects, nor with what propriety they can be taxed or affected in their estates, by the parHament, wherein they are not, and indeed cannot, constitutionally, be represented.

" And if it were proper for the parliament to impose taxes on the colonies at all, which the remonstrants take leave to think would be inconsistent with the fundamental principles of the constitution, the exercise of that power, at this time, would be ruinous to Virgiiiia, who exerted herself in the late war, it is feared beyond her strength, insomuch that to redeem the money gi-anted for that exigence, her people are taxed for several years to come : this, with the Jarger expenses incun*ed for defending the frontiers against the restless Indians^ who have infested her as much since the peace as before, is so griev- OU.S, thatan increase of the burthen would be intolerable : especially as the people are very greatly distressed already from the scarcity of circulating cash amongst tb.em, and from the little value of their staple at the British markets. "And it i.s presumed, that adding to that load which the colony now labours

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