With greater appearance of reafon it has been contended, that the reprefentatives of

the

the dictates of his confcience, would incline him to purfue a different conduct.

The following cafe may affift us in the folution of this difficulty.

Let us fuppofe that a member of the commons' houfe of parliament is inftructed to declare his diffent, in cafe a bill should be introduced, which has for its object the abolition of the flave trade; a practice, so abhorrent from the dictates of humanity, and the principles of our religion, that I make no fcruple of affirming, with a very excellent citizen, and refpectable writer, that it ought not to be tolerated in a chriftian country.

Let us further fuppose, that the majority of the representatives of the people have also been instructed by their conftituents, to promote the introduction of a bill, for its immediate abolition.

Let us, laftly, fuppofe that the principles, on which fuch a bill is founded, accord with the feelings, and the judgment of the member, who has received inftructions to oppofe it.

In thefe circumftances, it is demanded, what is that line of conduct, which it would become fuch member to purfue, who, attentive to the dictates of conscience and honour, is alfo willing to approve himself a friend to the rights of human kind?

Since the publication of the laft edition of this pamphlet, I have reconfidered this fubject, and, in confequence of the further lights I have received, am now decidedly of opinion, that it would be the bounden duty

of

the commons, actually affembled in parliament, may permit to lie neglected on their table, the petition or remonftrance of the most respectable, or most populous, county of

of the member thus inftructed, either to comply with the requifition of his conftituents, or to refign his truft.

The reprefentative is, properly speaking, the proxy of the inhabitants of the district which returns him. He acts or he aflents in the name of parties, who, by the inftrumentality of his perfon, are reputed present in parliament, and, confequently, should confider himself as the organ of their will, in every inftance where that will is pofitively declared. If, however, it appears to the representative, that the conduct prescribed, as may readily be fuppofed in the cafe before us, can by no means be reconciled with his principles as a christian, or his feelings as a man, he should be allowed an opportunity of divefting himself of a truft, the functions of which he can no longer honeftly discharge.

It is afferted by Mr. Burgh, in his "Political difquifitions," that there is no advantage within the reach of a particular people, that may not be obtained by parliamentary government, in as effectual a manner, as if every inhabitant of the country were to deliberate and vote in person. The pofition is ftrictly juft, provided an equal reprefentation were established, the right of univerfal fuffrage reftored, and the compliance of the reprefentative with the wishes of his conftituents fecured, by the abolition of the undue influence of the crown, and the reduction of parliaments to their ancient period.

of the kingdom, if the fentiments, contained in the faid petition or remonftrance, be difcordant with their own.

Partial interefts, and a partial conception of the point in question, may, with greater probability, be supposed to prevail in a county meeting, however refpectable, than in the public affembly of the nation. A declaration of opinion, in the strongest language of remonstrance, cannot be unlawful, and may frequently be expedient; and the right of petitioning is a privilege, to which the obfcureft individual is entitled. But the power to reject, or to redrefs, muft, in ordinary inftances, be confidered as vested in the general reprefentative of all the commons of England. *

For

Every fubject of this ftate is not only authorised, but by the genius of english liberty he is encouraged and exhorted, freely to examine the defects of the conftitution, the errors of government, and the conduct of the perfons, employed in its various departments; and as freely to cenfure, wherever cenfure, in his judgment, fhall be due. I am fometimes afraid, that the prefent inattention of the nation, to affairs of ftate, is a fymptom of its approaching diffolution. I wish to fee the ancient fpirit of my countrymen revive; I wish to fee

them

For although it be allowed, that the inhabitants of a diftrict, which returns a member

to

them a nation of politicians, and the principle of the Famous ordinance of Solon univerfally prevail. There are times, when it fhould be efteemed criminal in any perfon, arrived at years of difcretion, not to have formed an opinion; treafonable, when a fair opportunity prefents itself, not to propagate, and fupport his opinion, by the force of argument, and every legal method in his power.

For thefe and many other reafons, the ufurped power of excluding the fubject from the galleries of the commons' houfe of parliament, more especially as exercised of late years, appears to me a direct violation of one, of the most important privileges of the people. It deprives the elector of the opportunity of hearing, what it highly concerns him to know; and diminishes the force of that falutary apprehenfion, in the mind of the elected, which, in the midst of the temptations he is expofed to, has not unfrequently afforded confiderable affiftance to his virtue. It defrauds the true patriot of part of his reward, and shelters the person of the midnight affaffin of the conftitution, from deserved ignominy and difgrace; but I forbear.

The only argument offered in juftification of this practice, that deferves the leaft attention, is founded upon the idea, that foreign powers may thus become more eafily acquainted with our national concerns. But fuch arguments would have no place, were the deliberations of the commons' houfe of parliament confined to

to the commons' house of parliament, have a right to influence the conduct of their representative, yet every other member, not fimilarly inftructed, is free to act as his own difcretion fhall direct.

Hence, upon an application to the commons' house of parliament, if the petitioning party be a minority of the kingdom, the voice of the majority in parliament ought to prevail against a minority of the constituent body.

I am fenfible, however, that cafes may occur, particularly cafes of election, in which, the commons' houfe of parliament may extend its jurifdiction beyond the bounds prefcribed by reafon and the conftitution; in fuch I do not hold, that the aggrieved electors, even of a fingle district, can be concluded by a parliamentary vote.

But if doubts have arifen, concerning the obligation of an individual in the commons' houfe of parliament, to attend to the inftructions

the proper objects. It has, with reafon, been afferted, that this branch of the legiflature, of late years, has too frequently affumed the executive functions of govern

ment.