s and malicious
representations; a mind, attentive to the common good, would hardly, on
an occasion like this, have been at leisure to pervert an harmless
illustration, and extract disaffection from a casual remark.

It is, indeed, not impossible, sir, that I might express myself
obscurely; and it may be, therefore, necessary to declare that I
intended no disrespectful reflection on the conduct of his majesty; but
must observe, at the same time, that obscure or inaccurate expressions
ought always to be interpreted in the most inoffensive meaning, and that
to be too sagacious in discovering concealed insinuations, is no great
proof of superiour integrity.

Wisdom, sir, is seldom captious, and honesty seldom suspicious; a man
capable of comprehending the whole extent of a question, disdains to
divert his attention by trifling observations; and he that is above the
practice of little arts, or the motions of petty malice, does not easily
imagine them incident to another.

That in the question of ship-money necessity was pretended, cannot be
denied; and, therefore, all that I asserted, which was only that the
nation had been once terrified without reason, by the formidable sound
of necessity, is evident and uncontested.

When a fraud has once been practised, it is of use to remember it, that
we may not twice be deceived by the same artifice; and, therefore, I
mentioned the plea of necessity, that it may be inquired whether it is
now more true than before.

That the senate, sir, and not the judges, is now applied to, is no proof
of the validity of the arguments which have been produced; for in the
days of ship-money, the consent of the senate had been asked, had there
been any prospect of obtaining it; but the court had been convinced, by
frequent experiments, of the inflexibility of the senate, and despaired
of influencing them by prospects of advantage, or intimidating them by
frowns or menaces.

May this and every future senate imitate their conduct, and, like them,
distinguish between real and pretended necessity; and let not us be
terrified, by idle clamours, into the establishment of a law at once
useless and oppressive.

Sir William YONGE replied:--Sir, that I did not intend to misrepresent
the meaning of the honourable gentleman, I hope it is not necessary to
declare; and that I have, in reality, been guilty of any
misrepresentation, I am not yet convinced. If he did not intend a
parallel between ship-money a