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bation-in fhort, the afflicted may enjoy the best pleasures of the happy.

But after all, it must be allowed, that all our pleasures, in this imperfect ftate, even thofe of the moft refined and exalted kind, are liable to numberless forrows and difappointments: Friends may be removed by abfence, or by death; the faults and imperfections of thofe we love, may wound the heart, affection may be repaid with unkindnefs, and benefits with ingratitude; the most earnest endeavour to relieve the diftreffed, may prove unfuccefsful; and the fincereft defire to promote the happiness of others, may mifs its aim: in fhort, every purfuit in this world may end in disappointment. And this thought might indeed be fufficient to check the ardour of the mind, and difcourage the beft endeavours, had we not a never failing resource in that affistance and support which religion offers.

It is in the power of every one to fecure to himself a happiness of which nothing in this world can deprive him-a hope which is not liable to disappointment-a Friend, who never will forfake him, and who will always be able and willing to affift him.

Those who are placed in a happy fituation in this world, if at the same time they can rejoice in fuch thoughts as thefe, may enjoy the good which they poffefs.Every bleffing beftowed upon them will fill their hearts with love and gratitude to him from whom it comes; and these fentiments will add new relifh to every pleasure, and make them become real and lafting advantages, means to promote their eternal felicity, not hindrances to stop them in their way, as, by the perverfe ufe of them, they too often are.

Prompted by the fame love and grati. tude, they will indeed rejoice in giving the beft proof of them, by an earnest endea vour to do good to others; and in this aim they cannot be difappointed, though they should prove unsuccessful; for the honeft endeavour they may be certain will be accepted.

-The fear of lofing the bleffings they poffefs, will not deprive them of the plea fure of enjoying them; for they remember in whofe hands they are, they know they fall enjoy them as long as is really beft for them, and that if all else were taken from them, they are fecure of an unfailing refource, an Almighty Comforter.

They confider their best enjoyments as

independent on this world; the pleasures of friendship and benevolence, though here allayed by disappointment, and interrupted by death, they hope will be renewed hereafter, and enjoyed, pure and unmixed, through eternity.

The love and gratitude they feel, the delight they take in every means of expreffing them, will constitute a part of their happiness hereafter.

The heavenly contemplations which exalt their minds, and make them feel that they were formed for higher enjoyments than this world affords, will raise their hopes to that state where alone they can find objects suited to them.

And thus every bleffing bestowed upon them will be fo received, that it will be truly enjoyed here, and will prove a fource of real and lafting happiness, and the prefent good will neither be allayed by anxiety, nor fucceeded by weariness and difguft. While it remains, it will be enjoyed to the utmoft; and when it is taken away, it will not be immoderately regret. ted fince that to which it owed its greatest relifh will still remain, and prove a fource of happiness in the days of affliction and disappointment, as well as in those of profperity and fuccefs.

It is very certain that there are few, if any, either amongst the afflicted or a mongst the happy, who enjoy to the ut most all the bleffings which are bestowed upon them. Those who take a view of their own fituation in life, with a fincere defire to make the best of it, will probably find much more happiness within their power, than in the moments of uneafinefs and difcontent they are apt to imagine. This obfervation is generally true, even of the greatest sufferers.

But let us fuppofe that this were not the cafe, for it must be allowed to be poffible that all earthly comforts may be taken away: A perfon who has long been struggling against the fevereft afflictions of body and of mind, may have met with nothing but difappointments; and in the midft of all, he may not find a friend to affift and fupport him, or to beftow that tender, foothing confolation, which can almoft convert afflictions into pleasures; or, what is still more painful, the friend from whom he expected this, may change, and embitter thofe fufferings he fhould alleviate; the endeavours to do good which benevolence infpires may prove unfuccefsful; in a word, all in this world may fail,

This is indeed a cafe rarely, if ever, to be met with but as it must be allowed to be poffible, let us take things in the worft light imaginable, and then confider the happiness which yet remains to balance thefe afflictions, in the heavenly comforts which religion offers.

The most unhappy may yet find a Friend, to whom they may freely unbofom all their forrows with the fulleft confidence, and reft fecure of finding that confolation which is really best for them, fince He is both able and willing to be. ftow it: this is a happiness of which none but themselves can ever deprive them. Though flighted and neglected, perhaps oppreffed and injured by the world, yet are they certain that He regards their fufferings, He hears their prayers, and will reward their patience.

When they confider that all events are at his difpofal, and thefe fufferings are permitted for their greater good, their fubmiffion, inftead of being full of terror and anxiety, will be an act of love and confidence: even the with that they could chufe their own lot, would be fuppreffed, and they will rejoice in the thought that Infinite Wisdom and Goodness will do it for them.

When they remember, that all afflictions are trials, and that by bearing them as they ought, they may beft exprefs their love and gratitude, and fecure his favour and protection, the activity of their minds will be again awakened, and their utmost efforts again exerted, with a pleasure and fatisfaction which can attend on no other purfuit, fince all but this are liable to difappointment. Here the intention, not the fuccefs, will be confidered; and the fincere wish, when nothing more is in their power, will be accepted.

If we are engaged in the fervice of a friend, every difficulty becomes a fource of pleafure; we exert ourselves with delight in finding means to conquer it; we even enjoy any fuffering which can procure his advantage, or exprefs our affec

tion.

A fatisfaction of the fame kind may continually be enjoyed by the afflicted. It is true, their fufferings can bring no advantage to their Creator; yet still, to a heart full of love and gratitude, there is a pleasure in exerting every effort to exprefs those sentiments, in doing or fuffering any thing which may conduce to that end. In this view, afflictions may be received with real fatisfaction, fince

they afford continual opportunities of ex preffing our readiness to conform to his will, even when it is moft contrary to our own; and this is the ftrongest proof of love and confidence we are able to give; and therefore, to the heart which truly feels them, must be attended with a fatisfaction fuch as pleasure cannot bestow.

When we read the hiftories of thofe who have voluntarily undergone the most painful fufferings rather than tranfgrefs their duty, we admire their virtues, and efteem them happy. Those who receive as they ought the trials which are fent them, do all in their power to follow their examples, and may, in a great degree, enjoy the fame happinefs: their aims, their withes are the fame; like them, they bless Him who permits the trial; they would deteft the thought of escaping from it, by being guilty of the fmalleft crime; they rejoice in fuffering for his fake, and depend, with entire confidence, on his affiftance and support.

If at any time the affliction feems too fevere to be supported, and nature almoft finks under the trial, let them anticipate the future time, and think with what fentiments they fhall look back upon it; think, if they can, what joy it will afford them to reflect, that no fufferings could® ever shake their refolution; that their love to their Almighty Father, and defire to be conformable to his will, have been ftill the ruling principle of their hearts, even in the midst of the feverest trials; that their afflictions have not made them neglect their duty to him, or to their fellowcreatures; that their beft endeavours have been ftill exerted, and their entire confidence ever placed in Him.

Then let them look farther ftill, and think of the time when all earthly joys and forrows will be for ever paffed away, and nothing of them will remain but the manner in which they have been received; let them think of the happiness of those who have been " made perfect through fufferings," and who will then look forward to an eternity of bliss.

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Will they then with that they had fuffered lefs? Or who would with it now, if fuch are the bleffed fruits of fufferings? And it depends on ourselves to make them fo: for the affiftance of Him who alone can support our weakness, will never be wanting to those who seek it.

Such reflections, fuch hopes as these, can furely afford pleasures more than fufficient to overbalance any afflictions to

which we may be liable in this world: and thefe are pleasures which the greatest fufferer may feel, and in which the moft unhappy may rejoice.

To conclude:-Religion cannot prevent loffes and difappointments, pains and forrows; for to thefe, in this imperfect ftate, we must be liable: nor does it require us to be insensible to them, for that would be impoffible; but in the midft of all, and even when all earthly pleafures fail, it commands-it inftructs-it enables us to be happy.

SPEAKERS in the HOUSE of COMMONS. THE public are divided in their opi

nions refpecting the merits of the principal speakers in the House of Com. mons. However, the point is fuch as may be decided without incurring much trouble. There are but three members in the lower Houfe who are capable of entering largely, without preparation, into a debate on a subject of general jurifpru dence, or of finance. Thefe are, Mr Pitt, Mr Fox, and Lord North.

But the characterising talents even of these three eminent men are different; fo much fo, indeed, as to render it requifite to rate the two first as the most able speakes, and to place the noble Lord in a fecond rate.

In the third rate of fpeakers doubtless are Mr Sheridan, Mr Dundas, and Mr Burke. Of thefe, Mr Sheridan is the most acute and entertaining speaker; Mr Dundas the most univerfal and useful; and Mr Burke the most learned, but the moft ufelefs. None of thefe gentlemen were ever known to deliver, as Mr Fox and Mr Pitt have often done, a fpeech of a couple of hours long, in reply to any leading fpeech, unless they had made the topic their peculiar Rudy. Mr Dundas has made a respectable figure in treating of India bufinefs; but then he had juft before bent his whole attention to the subject.

Mr Burke has often delivered good fpeeches; but he never did fo till he had committed them to writing. And though Mr Sheridan but the other day aftonished almost all who heard him, yet his fpeech was not the creature of the day; he had ftudied it for months.

In short, the merits of the speakers in parliament muft not fo much be appreciated by leading fpeeches, as by replies: For a leading speech, if a man have a re⚫ tentive memory, is an evidence not of VOL. XLIX.

what he can exhibit merely as a speaker, but of what he can produce as a writer. That promptitude of genius, and fweep of intellect, which diftinguish the two leaders in the lower House, are peculiar to themselves.

There are indeed cafes in which even these gentlemen defire some time for deliberation. Mr Fox fays the French Treaty is of this fort; Mr Pitt faid the fame of the laft charge against Mr Haftings that was difcuffed; and as the examination of papers was neceffary, he certlemen, in point of oratorical abilities, tainly was right. But after all, these genftand unrivalled.

A very ingenious fpeech was delivered towards the close of an interesting debate on the fortifications; but it was not a reply to any thing that was said: it would have anfwered as well at the beginning, as at the clofe of a debate. Nevertheless it gave high proofs of ingenuity, and of faculties which have fince been more fully displayed.

A New Travelling Machine.

London, Feb. 24.

A Travelling machine, of a new and

very curious conftruction, was laft week inspected by his Majefty in the Riding-houfe at the Queen's palace. This machine is entirely composed of iron, in the form of a phaeton, and yet it is lighter by an hundred weight than those of the ordinary kind and dimenfions. The peculiar advantage of this vehicle is, that by the movement of a spring, in case of any accident, the horses can be liberated, in a moment; and if the carriage should be going down hill, the fame fpring that fets it free from the horses, enables the paffenger to guide the fhaft, or to stop at his pleasure. This machine, it is faid, is the invention of an artist of Birmingham, who has been a long time before he brought it to its prefent perfection. His Majefty was fo well fatisfied with it, that, after having examined it with great attention, he thought proper to reward the artist with a Bank-note of no inferior value.

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PARLIAMENT. [p. 5.]

IN the House of Lords, Feb. 5. Lord Stormont rofe, and after a fhort preface, moved, That the patents creating the Duke of Queensberry and Lord Abercorn British Peers fhould be laid before the Houfe. The fubject, in his opinion, was of much national importance; it refpect ed the rights and privileges of the Houfe, and the representation of the people; and being of that magnitude, it becomes requifite that there thould be a very full attendance on the occafion. To effect this, he deemed it the most regular mode to fummon their Lordships for Tuefday fe'ennight, when he should move the Houfe to refolve into a committee of privileges, to take their patents into confideration, and which he hoped would occafion one of the fullest Houses that could

meet.

The Chancellor faid there could be no objection to the Noble Viscount's motion, and he therefore put the question, which paffed without oppofition.

Accordingly on the 13th, the Houfe refolved into a committee of privileges, Lord Scarfdale in the chair; when Lord Stormont opened the bufinefs for which their Lordships had been fummoned. The following is the fubftance of his Lordship's fpeech to introduce his motion, taken from the notes of a perfon who was prefent at the debate.

Lord Stormont began by saying, that he had prefumed to bring before the committee a bufinefs, which, as matter of privilege, was intitled to ferious and early attention, and which appeared to him of confiderable importance. He thought it a great public queftion, and fhould argue it upon large public ground. The conftitution of parliament now required, that the representation of the Scotch peerage fhould be complete. Is it fo? That is the question for the confideration of the committee. The motion is purposely calculated to put that point fairly at iffue: Had the queftion any thing of legal nicety, he should be ill qualified to treat it; but it appeared to him that it lay in a narrow compass, and was to be decided upon a few plain, obvious principles, which he would endeavour to ftate.

It must be admitted, that the right of representation was given to the Scotch Peers, for the lofs of an hereditary feat in parliament. They who no longer fuffer the lofs, can no longer be intitled to

their share of the compenfation. It would be abfurd to argue what is fo plain, it is fufficient barely to ftate it.

By the treaty of Union, fixteen Peers are to be chofen by those whom they reprefent out of their own number. Is it not clear from this ftipulation, that they who chufe muft be in a fituation to be reprefented; and thofe who are chofen, in a condition to be reprefentatives?

All elective representation in government, wherefoever it obtains, proceeds upon this uniform invariable principle. There is an inconvenience, real or fuppofed, in your fharing in the government individually; therefore you fhall fhare in it virtually, by reprefentation. The one being given in lieu of the other, they cannot be co-exiftent. You cannot reprefent yourfelf, you cannot appear in perfon and be reprefented by your deputy. The moment you are admitted to a personal fhare in the government, your right to fhare in it virtually by reprefentation muft ceafe and determine. He then applied thefe general principles to the particular cafe. The Peers of Scotland, at the Union, were thought too numerous to be admitted to hereditary feats in parliament, therefore they were to be reprefented by fixteen of their number. Whether the mode was wife, whether the proportion was fair and adequate, it is needlefs now to inquire. Our ancestors, said he, came hæc in fœdera, and by their agreement we are indifputably bound, But he was fure their Lordships were bound by inclination, still more than by the ties of duty, to fee that agreement fairly and honourably fulfilled. Would it be fo, would it be conformable to the true fenfe and meaning of the treaty, would it be confonant to the principles of representation, to include in the number of Scotch reprefentatives hereditary Peers, who have no intereft in that representation, and to whofe condition elective reprefentation cannot appertain ?

An hereditary feat, and a temporary feat by election, are not only different, but incompatible, for this obvious reafon: The hereditary feat takes away the whole effect of the relation that should subfift between the representative and those who chufe him. This connection is ftronger in fome governments, in fome countries, than in others; but it obtains univerfally in all, and is of the very effence of reprefentation. In fome countries, as in Poland for inftance, members are bound by

the

the inftructions of their conftituents. It has been maintained, that that is the cafe in our conftitution. Lord Stormont faid he was not of that opinion; but fuppofe, for a moment, that to be the cafe, what would be the condition of an hereditary Peer, who was also a reprefentative? Clafhing duties might arife. His own judgement marks out to him one line of conduct, the orders of his electors another. Which is he to follow? But not to infift upon an idea of the constitution, ftrongly maintained by others, but differing from Lord Stormont's own opinion, he faid, that in this country reprefentatives were certainly fo far refponfible to their conftituents in their conduct, that upon the opinion entertained of that conduct, their fate at a future election was decided, and the trust reposed in them continued or withdrawn. He obferved, that the fame prerogative that had raised two of the fixteen to an hereditary feat, might, in poffibility at least, extend the fame favour to the whole number. What then would become of the Scotch representation? This way of putting it makes the abfurdity more glaring; but there is no real difference between the one cafe and the other. The violation of the principle of representation is the fame in both. He then proceeded to fliew, that the ceffation of right, his motion con. tended for, follows by clear and neceffa. ry confequence, from the incapacity eftablished by a resolution of the House in 1709, in the cafe of the Duke of Dover's vote. It was then refolved, "That a Peer of Scotland claiming to fit in the Houfe of Peers by virtue of a patent paffed under the great seal of Great Britain, and who now fits in the parliament of Great Britain, has no right to vote in the election of the fixteen Peers."

The two noble Lords in queftion confeffedly stood in that fituation to which the refolution applies; and he who has not a right to vote, a fortiori, cannot be thed.

This determination was as folemn, as deliberate a one as any that ftands on the records of parliament. It rejected the vote of a perfon intimately connected with the then Lord Treasurer (Godolphin). I barely mention this circumftance, faid he, without laying any ftrefs upon it.

The refolution paffed at a time when all that related to the Union was fresh in every man's memory, and the true mean

ing and intention of that great treaty were generally known. It paffed in the prefence of many of those who had been commiffioners on both fides, actors in that great fcene; and the journals fhow that there was not a fingle proteft. It has been conftantly acted under, has stood unquestioned, unfhaken, for near fourfcore years. Such a precedent has all the weight and authority that can belong to any precedent whatever; and powerful indeed, faid he, is the weight and authority of fuch precedents upon the mind of every confiderate man who knows the mifchief of fluctuation, and the numberlefs benefits which arise from certainty of law, and stability and uniformity of ́decifion.

He then obferved, that although he argued from this refolution, though it afforded a very strong, and he thought irrefiftible argument in fupport of the motion, yet the motion itself went to the fingle point of reprefentation. The prefent queftion is fimply this, Whether the two noble Lords, by the change in their fituation, do or do not cease to be our reprefentatives? As in the act of Union, and in the fubfequent act of the 6th of Queen Anne, there are no exprefs words that go directly to the point, it must be a queftion of construction upon the real intent and meaning of that part of the treaty, to be decided by the rules of fair interpretation, and by the general nature and principles of reprefentation applied to the particular cafe.

By an article in the treaty of Union, the Peers of the two countries now made one, are to be comprehended under one general name. Had it conferred equality of right, all line of diftinction would have been done away. But British Peerage now confifts of two diflinct orders of men, having different rights, and standing in very different fituations indeed. The one retains all the privileges of Peerage, fits in parliament, whofe authority now extends over the whole united kingdom. The other has the inferior rights of privilege throughout the whole kingdom, but is abridged of the most valuable right of all, an hereditary feat in parliament. They are therefore, in fact, two diftinct orders of men, though called by the fame name; the one having individually a thare in the legislature, the other only a virtual fhare by reprefentation. No line of diftinction can be more ftrongly drawn.

The queftion then fairly stated is this,
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what,

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