ared in open committees, from a
choice into which no class or description of men is to be excluded,--and
the subsequent county meetings should be as full and as well attended as
possible. Without these precautions, the true sense of the people will
ever be uncertain. Sure I am, that no precipitate resolution on a great
change in the fundamental constitution of any country can ever be called
the real sense of the people.

I trust it will not be taken amiss, if, as an inhabitant and freeholder
of this county, (one, indeed, among the most inconsiderable,) I assert
my right of dissenting (as I do dissent fully and directly) from any
resolution whatsoever on the subject of an alteration in the
representation and election of the kingdom _at this time_. By preserving
this light, and exercising it with temper and moderation, I trust I
cannot offend the noble proposer, for whom no man professes or feels
more respect and regard than I do. A want of concurrence in _everything_
which _can_ be proposed will in no sort weaken the energy or distract
the efforts of men of upright intentions upon those points in which they
are agreed. Assemblies that are met, and with a resolution to be all of
a mind, are assemblies that can have no opinion at all of their own. The
first proposer of any measure must be their master. I do not know that
an amicable variety of sentiment, conducted with mutual good-will, has
any sort of resemblance to discord, or that it can give any advantage
whatsoever to the enemies of our common cause. On the contrary, a forced
and fictitious agreement (which every universal agreement must be) is
not becoming the cause of freedom. If, however, any evil should arise
from it, (which I confess I do not foresee,) I am happy that those who
have brought forward new and arduous matter, when very great doubts and
some diversity of opinion must be foreknown, are of authority and weight
enough to stand against the consequences.

I humbly lay these my sentiments before the county. They are not taken
up to serve any interests of my own, or to be subservient to the
interests of any man or set of men under heaven. I could wish to be able
to attend our meeting, or that I had time to reason this matter more
fully by letter; but I am detained here upon our business: what you have
already put upon us is as much as we can do. If we are prevented from
going through it with any effect, I fear it will be in part owing not
more to the resist