BESIDES the circumftances that I have already mentioned, which have been favourable to Mr. Pitt's reputation, fome other incidents, in which he had no concern whatever, have accidentally been the means of leading many perfons to have an unreafonable confidence in his administration. The revolution in France, and the commotions in Holland and in Flanders, naturally induced many foreigners to place large fums in the English funds; and thus these events greatly contributed to raise the price of ftocks. These transactions were certainly not brought about by Mr. Pitt, nor had he the least merit in them; but they had a great tendency towards raifing his reputation among the stockholders. It is, indeed, one of the great evils attendant on

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of state, ARE NOW COMPLETELY REMOVED. The character of Mr. Pitt, as a minister of state, is now

no more equivocal than that of the Earl of Strafford.

the

the national debt, that it causes a confiderable number of perfons in this country to be inclined to support any minister, however cenfurable and unconftitutional may be his measures, if they fuppofe them calculated to keep up the price of stocks, and to fecure, though only for a short time, the advantages which they conceive themfelves to derive from the funds.

THE national revenue has lately been repeatedly represented to be in a state highly profperous, and the merit of this has been chiefly attributed to the measures of Mr. Pitt. How far the national revenue is in a profperous state, I fhall not take upon me to decide; but I must observe, that, confidering the great number of new taxes that have been laid, in a time of peace, it can be no wonder, that the public revenue should be, at least apparently, in a fituation somewhat profperous. But if the revenue

be

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be increased, the people must have feverely felt fuch numerous and oppreffive taxes; and every augmentation of immediate revenue by fuch means is far from being a national advantage. There is much reason to believe, that fome of the new regulations respecting the revenue have been formed upon very narrow, and contracted views, calculated to leffen various branches of trade,. to discourage men of property from carrying on feveral valuable manufactures, and eventually to decrease both the national revenue and commerce. And when we are told of the present profperous ftate of the revenue, one circumftance should be at leaft remembered, which I apprehend to be a most undoubted fact, that fuch heavy and oppreffive taxes have never been laid, during a time of profound peace, by any minister in this country, from the time of William Rufus to the present hour, as have been imposed

impofed during the administration of Mr. Pitt.

Ir was highly dishonourable to the laft houfe of commons, and must ever be recorded to its difhonour, while any impar tial history of it shall remain, that so great a number of its members voted against a repeal of the Teft and Corporation acts. I blufh for the honour of my country, when I reflect, that at the close of the eighteenth century, when the national Affembly of France has folemnly declared, that "all "citizens being equal in the eye of the "law, are equally eligible to all honours, "places, and employments, according to "their different abilities, without any other "diftinction than that created by their "virtues and talents;" that at fuch a period, fuch laws should be thought neceffary or proper in Great Britain as the Teft and Corporation acts. It is a juft fubject of furprize,

furprize, that fo large a part of that nation which has produced BACON, LOCKE, and NEWTON, fhould yet be fo unenlightened. To suppose that a particular mode of receiving the facrament, or adopting any dogmas of artificial theology, can be an indifpenfable requifite for qualifying a man to hold any civil office in the community to which he belongs, is one of those Gothic abfurdities, which are fuited only to the ages of ignorance and barbarism. There is no other method, therefore, of retrieving the honour of the nation, but by repealing thefe laws, and fome others of a fimilar nature, which at present disgrace our statute books, and which are equally hostile to the interefts of truth and reason, and to the common rights of mankind.

AMONG other important objects, which would be proper to engage the attention of a new parliament, one is, A REVISION OF

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