s of loyalty to his Majesty and
attachment to the British Government, had risked their lives and
sacrificed their fortunes in support of the constitutional dependence of
the colonies on Great Britain.

"Whatever may be said of this unfortunate war, either to account for, to
justify, or to apologize for the conduct of either country, all the
world has been unanimous in applauding the virtue and humanity of Great
Britain in rewarding the services, and in compensating, with a liberal
hand, the losses of those who suffered so much for their firm and
faithful adherence to the British Government."

We will conclude these extracts by giving the Commissioners' account of
their mode of proceeding and the reasons for it, together with the
acknowledgment of the agents of the claimants in a formal address to the
King:

"The principle which has directed our mode of conducting the inquiry,"
say the Commissioners, "has been that of requiring the very best
evidence which the nature and circumstances of the case would admit. We
have in no instance hitherto thought fit to dispense with the personal
appearance and examination of the claimant, conceiving the inquiry would
be extremely imperfect and insecure against fraud and misrepresentation
if we had not the advantage of cross-examining the party himself, as
well as his witnesses; nor have we, for the same reason, allowed much
weight to any testimony that has not been delivered on oath before
ourselves. We have investigated with great strictness the titles to real
property, wherever the necessary documents could be exhibited to us; and
where they have not been produced we have required satisfactory evidence
of their loss, or of the inability of the claimant to procure
them."[133]

The Commissioners conclude their twelfth and last Report in the
following words:

"Great as is the length of time which hath been consumed in the
prosecution of this inquiry, it may without difficulty be accounted for
by a survey of the multiplicity and complicated nature of the objects to
which the Acts of Parliament extended our scrutiny; and when to these
are added the investigation (delegated to us by your lordships) of the
numerous claims for present relief and temporary support (which alone
formed a heavy branch of business, demanding daily attention), the
several reviews and modifications of pension lists, and the various
other extraneous matters which have incidentally devolved upon us, we
trust