r conquests nor honours, neither
to prevent invasions from abroad, nor to quell rebellions at home, is
not the most flagrant charge of this wonderful administration, which,
not contented with most exorbitant exactions, contrives to make them yet
more oppressive by tyrannical methods of collection. With what reason
the author of the excise scheme dreads the resentment of the nation is
sufficiently obvious; but surely, in a virtuous and benevolent mind, the
first sentiments that would have arisen on that occasion, would not have
been motions of anger, but of gratitude. A whole nation was condemned to
slavery, their remonstrances were neglected, their petitions ridiculed,
and their detestation of tyranny treated as disaffection to the
established government; and yet the author of this horrid scheme riots
in affluence, and triumphs in authority, and without fear, as without
shame, lifts up his head with confidence and security.

How much, my lords, is the forbearance of that people to be admired,
whom such attacks as these have not provoked to transgress the bounds of
their obedience, who have continued patiently to hope for legal methods
of redress, at a time when they saw themselves threatened with legal
slavery, when they saw the legislative power established only for their
protection, influenced by all possible methods of corruption to betray
them to the mercy of the ministry?

For, that corruption has found its way into one of the houses of the
legislature, is universally believed, and, without scruple, maintained
by every man in the nation, who is not evidently restrained from
speaking as he thinks; and that any man can even be of a different
opinion, that any man can even affirm that he thinks otherwise, would
be, in any other age, the subject of astonishment. That an immense
revenue is divided among the members of the other house, by known
salaries and publick employments, is apparent; that large sums are
privately scattered on pressing exigencies, that some late transactions
of the ministry were not confirmed but at a high price, the present
condition of the civil list, a civil list vastly superiour to all the
known expenses of the crown, makes highly probable. That the commons
themselves suspect the determinations of their assembly to be influenced
by some other motives than justice and truth, is evident from the bill
this day sent hither for our concurrence; and, surely, no aggravation
can be added to the crimes