Nor do they renounce the
power of suspending our own Legislatures, and of legislating for us
themselves in all cases whatsoever. On the contrary, to shew they
mean no discontinuance of injury, they pass acts, at the very time of
holding out this proposition, for restraining the commerce and
fisheries of the Provinces of New-England, and for interdicting the
trade of other Colonies with all foreign nations and with each other.
This proves unequivocally they mean not to relinquish the exercise of
indiscriminate legislation over us.
Upon the whole, this proposition seems to have been held up to
the world, to deceive it into a belief that there was nothing in
dispute between us but the _mode_ of levying taxes; and that the
Parliament having now been so good as to give up this, the Colonies
are unreasonable if not perfectly satisfied: Whereas in truth, our
adversaries still claim a right of demanding _ad libitum_, and of
taxing us themselves to the full amount of their demand, if we do not
comply with it. This leaves us without any thing we can call
property. But, what is of more importance, and what in this proposal
they keep out of sight, as if no such point was now in contest
between us, they claim a right to alter our Charters and established
laws, and leave us without any security for our Lives or Liberties.
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