7 Aug. 1809

Parl. Reform

Ch. Necessity Hume

5

5

" How easy" {(says he)} "therefore" (viz. by means of the power he has just been speaking of, that is the power of the purse) "would it be" (says he) ["]for that House to wrest from the Crown all these powers" (no matter what powers it comes to the same thing and he might as well have said all its powers) "one after another; by making every grant conditional, and choosing their time so well, that their refusal of supply should only distress the government, without giving foreign powers any advantage over us."

Easy enough, certainly, viz. in a case that may be imagined: viz if the Members were in for life: for in this case viz. under Charles the firsts Long Parliament it actually did take place.

But in the present state of things or any thing /state/ in any degree resembling it? under a House of Commons which at the utmost can last but seven years and at the will of the King may be dissolved at any time? Not it indeed.

Withhold the supplier they indeed may: and in case of a struggle thus it is which is always either put in practice, or looked to and intended to be practiced as the ultimate resort.

But supplies withheld what is the consequence. The King's Ministers must /can/ not suffer the government to perish for want of supplies - for want of its daily bread: the government perishing they would perish along with it. Of course they dissolve the Parliament: i.e. they make their appeal to the people: and this done it rests with the people whether, as towards the King, the House of Commons i.e. the acting majority of its members acting on the occasion in question shall be conquerors or conquered.