date

1819 May 17 To Erskine? or Whig Fallacies
1819 May 17

To Erskine? or Whig Fallacies?

Whig Fallacies

Suitors made by Erskine

Matchless Constitution

 Add to Fallacies (26 May 1819)

[...?] the balance! Trim the boat

Talk of a Constitution indeed? when openly and avowedly in the form of authority, two placemen both of them appointed by the Monarch, one of them removable without consent of Parliament, without authority from Parliament, by a set of taxes to which all Englishmen are subjected, raise money to be applied to their own use.

In the case of Ship money

In Charles the first time by a /an exampled/ stretch of the power of the House of Commons men in various situations were ruined for the concern in /the parts borne by them/ this business, and in particular a number of Judges for declaring judicially the legality of it. If any one will take the trouble to enquire, he will find that fore justification of what was done in the case in question for taxing men in the character of suitors to satisf[?] /gratify/ the rapacity of lawyers, the pretanes /pretence/ bear no comparison in point of plausibility with that by which the levying of Ship money was endeavoured to be justified

/Capital justification! contributing to the [...?] of factions contributing to the effect by every half-[...?] extent./

Now had they done twenty times the good things they ever pretended to still it might be asked and asked with reason what confidence can the Whigs lay claim to, they having at /all/ with folded hands /shut eyes/ and unpenned lips while this violation of the most radical and vital principle of the pretended Constitution was perpetrated.

Many thus extorted from the people under colon[?] of law and in contempt of Parliament - this puppet Parliament This violation of the Bill of Rights that [...?] and the trumpeters of the glorious Revolution Oh ever glorious: Revolutions! O rare Bill of Rights not moving a tongue in opposition to it. They oppose it? Why, it was by them it was by the very head of them it was committed. It was by their Lord Chancellor: In this exploit of theirs they were but seconded by the Tories. The Tory who /for this purpose and to this effect/ in the situation of Master of the Rolls, to use their own jargon) confederated and combined to and with

this

this head of the Whigs, joined in this business did but follow where the Lord High Whig led.
Similar Items
  • Title: [1819 Apr. 4 To Erskine 8 IV. Whig]
    Description: 1819 Apr. 4

    To Erskine 8 IV. Whig Demerits

    Fallacies

    1 Glorious Revolution

    They would proceed to observe (+) that "in this manner England preserved all the antient measures of her freedom": and thereupon that "her laws and Constitution continued un[...?] they would thus endeavour to cause it to be believed that if the votes of those whose wishes are thus signified in appearance were really free, there would in England be no freedom

    They would proceed to observe that under that same arrangement all England's Laws and Constitution continued unshaken. They would thus endeavour to make us believe, that on that occasion no English law was shaken, taking care on other occasions to mention it as matter of merit that some laws were not only shaken but abolished: and thus on the present occasion should those votes which are pretended to be free be so in reality not only those laws by which such freedom is at present excluded would be abolished or changed, but all that is good in the Constitution destroyed.

    They would proceed to observe (++) that on that same occasion a principle of mutual obligation was solemnly established between the title of the sovereign and the stipulated rights of the people. They would thus endeavour to cause it /make us /men// to be believed not only that at that time that principle of obligation which they say was then established was sufficient for the securing of good government of government having for it end the greatest happiness of the greatest number but that it continues in a state of sufficient with reference to that same purpose even at this present day.

    (+) p. 3.4.

    (++) p. 4
  • Title: [1819 Apr. 4 To Erskine 7 IV Whig Demerits]
    Description: 1819 Apr. 4

    To Erskine 7 IV Whig Demerits

    Fallacies

    III Glorious Revolution

    J. B. give for answer: these but things would not answer our purpose: not in 1.[?] we are above them &c

    by a set of imposture who either appreciating themselves is forcing others to appreciate them, exercise a tyranny of which a mixture of fraud and force is the instrument, what depredation and oppression, all continually encreasing, are the result.

    They would endeavour to cause it to be believed /make us /man/ believe that the existence of a King, mad and foolish enough to try to govern without the sort of tool called a Parliament instead of making the existing quantity of appropriate matter into the sort of tool we see and feel was and is the single defect which in the Constitution in question then had or now has "place". They would endeavour to cause it to be believed that in these days no seats were filled by bribery or what is so much worse by intimidation by that intimidation which in no place /situation/ nor at any time wealth can[?] case, even without acting /perceptible action/ apply to indigence, or /and/ that the existence of such bribery and intimidation and the tyranny and imposture /falshood/ which accompanies all voting performed under such a yoke are no /not defects. They would cause it to be believe if they could that freedom of defect in 1688 is a sufficient reason for refusing to endure any removal of defects in 1819 even of those very defects of which in the same breath they themselves are denying indeed but at the same time confessing the existence.
  • Title: [1819 Apr. 4. To Erskine 5 III. Whig]
    Description: 1819 Apr. 4.

    To Erskine 5 III. Whig demerits

    Fallacies

    1 Glorious Revolution

    They would proceed to give us to understand /assure us/ that though /when/ our ancestors at that period, were well aware of the full-right of the people, to have resettled the whole frame of their Constitution", "they were enough" - and it was the result of their wisdom - to leave every thing untouched, which in principle and effect had not failed, and to provide only for the emergency of a vacant, or forfeited throne, by adhering as closely to antient inheritance as the security of the Constitution would admitt". Of their wisdom, yes: for of that sort of wisdom by /with/ which men have been said to be wise in their own generation - the existence of this sort of wisdom there can be no doubt in the instance /situation/ of those our wise ancestors, than in that of their no less wise successors.

    Proceeding to insinuate and steal a misrepresentation upon misrepresentation - delusion upon delusion, they would proceed to assure as that "An alledged defect in this great work, so often in the mouths of Revolution, the sober-minded Whigs of England consider as decisively characteristic of its wisdom. "The people (they would instances) The people at large were not called upon to act for themselves as of the whole frame of the antient Government had been dissolved; but write "(they would say) were sent to the Convention Parliament to supply the single defect which (says your Lordship this in Statute) had taken place"