^, \' ^i *^ ^ ^\%* IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A ^ .#. ^ 1.0 1.1 l^|2£ 125 ■^ Uii 12.2 11-25 m 1.4 11114 Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WIST MAIN SlaKii WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80 (716)872-4503 CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVl/iCIVIH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductlons / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques > Technical and Bibliographic Notas/Notas tachniquaa at bibliographiquas The Instituta has attampted to obtain th«t bast original copy availabia for filming. Faaturas of this copy which may ba bibliographically uniqua, which may altar any of tha imagas in tha raproduction, or which may significantly change tha usual method of filming, are checked below. n n D n n D Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur I I Covers damaged/ Couverture endommag^e Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaurie et/ou pelllculie I I Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque Coloured maps/ Cartes giographiques en couleur □ Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Relid avac d'autras documents r~7| Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La re liure serr^e peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge intirieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajout^es lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans la texte, mais. lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6ti filmAes. Additional comments:/ Commentaires suppi^mentaires; L'Institut a microfilm* le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a M possible de se procurer. Les details da cat exemplaire qui sont peut-Atre uniques du point de vue bibliographique. qui peuvent modifier una image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la mAthode normale de filmage sont indiquAs ci-dessous. I I Coloured pages/ y D D Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommagies Pages restored and/oi Pages restaurias et/ou peilicuides Pages discoloured, stained or foxe( Pages d^coior^es. tachet^es ou piquies I I Pages damaged/ I I Pages restored and/or laminated/ r~~2 Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ □ Pages detached/ Pages d^tachies Showthrough/ Transparence r~71 Quality of print varies/ Quality in6gale de I'impression Includes supplementary material/ Comprend du material supplimentaira Only edition available/ Seule Mition disponible Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc.. have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiallement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata. une pelure. etc., ont At6 filmtes d nouveau de fapon A obtenir la meilleure image possible. This item is filmed at the redjction ratio checked below/ Ce document est film* au taux de reduction indiquA ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X v/^ • 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X The copy film«d h«r« hat b««n reproduced thanks to the o«naroaity of: Library of tha Public Archives of Canada L'exemplaire film* f ut reproduit grAce A la OAnirosit* de: La bibliothAque des Archives pubiiques du Canada The images appearing hare are the best quelity possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specif icationa. Original copies in printed paper covere are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page wKh a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. Les images suivantes ont At* reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition at de la nettet* de l'exemplaire filmA, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat ds filmage. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est ImprimAe sont filmAs en commenpant |Mr le premier plat et en terminant soit par la darnlAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, salon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont film6s en commenpant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impreesion ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernlAre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol ^»- (meaning "CON- TINUED "), or the symbol y (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernlAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols — »> signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole ▼ signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one expoeure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmte A des taux de reduction diff Arents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA, 11 est film6 A partir de I'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut an bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. lies diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 4 % GENERAL THOUGHTS O N T H E Conftru6lion, Ufe and Abufe i O F T H E GREAT OFFICES; WITH A View to fomc further Discourses *^- on the fame SUBJECT. n LONDON: Printed for R. Baldwin, at the Raft, in Pattr-mfttf' Rew, 1754. ( Price Six-pence. ) » -1. t i 1 t im ^M ^' T'TTfl-T-niiifr lainwiiiW jT ( t ) General Thoughts, (^c. I ■m AS God hath imprinted his Authority on Princes, fo . he hath alfo delegated and committed Part of his Care and Providence unto them, that they may be inftrumental in conveying the Bleffings v^^hich he intends fliould be the EflFedls of Govern- ment. The Prerogative of the Crown, when exercifed only under the Eye B and ( 2 ) nnJ InfpccV:oa of the Sovereign, is altof^ether form'd for the Bene- iit of tlic Subjcd, and is as diffu- iivc o( Bleffings, in infpiring Man- kind with Vigour and Adivity, as rhc Sun is by its Rays of Heat in expanding, nourifliing, and invi- gorating the vegetable Creation. * \ (3) dangerous to expofe Faults tlian to commit them ; and draw LihvS of Diftindion between the Subjects, fo as to make it impofliblc for any Perfon, however well qualified, to attain the Favour of the Prince, unlefs he hath fome Connexions with Men in Power ; and it hath alfo this further ill Tendency, that when Mankind find themfelves un- der thofe Circumftances, th^^y are apt to miftake the true Caufe of their SuflFerings, and cool in their Zeal and Loyalty even to the So- vereign. , , Thefe are the Effedls which will naturally arife in any Cbuntry where the Offices are wrongly con- B 2 ftituted, ftituted ; and indeed in fucli a Mo- narchy as Great Britai/fy many more Evils may arife from the fame Caufe, fo as to put it in the Power of Men of high Rank in Office, to a6l with a kind of Independency in the Adminiftration of State Af- fairs. The Frame and Conftitution of this Government will demonftrate the Truth of thefe Obfervations, as the Rights and Privileges of the Subjeds confift principally in the Union or Harmony of the three gr^at Powers, which form the State; and th^ Strength and Vigour of the Government, depend wholly up- pn th^ due fxercifp of the Regal Poweri -'.*i ( s) Power, which again depends not only on the due Adminiftration of yuftice in the Courts of Law, but alfo, in a great meafure, upon a ftridl Adherence to the antient Rules or Syftem of the great Of- fices, which, by their original Tex- ture or Inftitution, were fo formed, as to bring every Matter of Confer quence to the View of the Crown. f But if thro' Time, Incidents, or Caufes of a mix'd Nature, the Cheques and Reftraints on thofe who prefide in the great Offices are loofened or removed, and that Men in Power apprehend thcmfelves to be at liberty to difpenfe with the Rules of their Office, the Name of ■;?p .^' ' i ii (6) of the Sovereign may be often pro- ftituted, in the fame Manner, and from the fame Motives, that Pricfts of feveral Denominations profti- tute the Name of God ; to delude Mankind, and draw the Riches and Power of a Nation into their own Hands. But this can only be ef- fefted by the Priefts when the Peo- ple are kept in Ignorance, and by Statefmen when a Veil is thrown over the Offices. For Impofture and Deceit are like the Mole which doth a great deal of Mifchief, but then it is only while it works un- der Cover and in the Dark, for as foon as it is expos'd to Day-light, it is rendered incapable of doing an/ further Hurt, The ":•!* MM (7) The Power or Privilege claim- ed by King 'James and Charles the Firft, v\z. That they were account- able to none but God, might do what they pleafcd, and were free from the Laws, fo eftranged and turned the Hearts of their Subjedls againft them and their Succeffors, and gave the People, in general, fuch a Diftafte and Abhorrence to the very Name of Prerogative, that even, until this Day, many are pre- judiced agamft the Name, and look upon it as an Engine of Go- vernment, from which they rather apprehend Danger than hope for Protedion. However, the Efforts that were then made to extend the Pre- f I r (8) Prerogative beyond the Limits pre* fcribed by the Conftitution, being public and open, put the Subjeds upon their Guard, and drew them into Adion, fo as to defend their Rights and Privileges. But fe- cret or concealed Evafions always have a difFerent Tendency, and muft operate in a diiFerent Man- ner, efpecially as Craft invades all the Intercourfes of Men, puts on a flattering Afpedt, prpmifes rich Harvefts, and yet blafts the Corn in the Ear, which muft always be the Cafe when Men in Power prefer private Intereft to the Good of the Public. But ts pre* being jbjeds them I their it fe- Jways > and Man- ies all $ on a rich 3rn in )e the prefer >f the But { 9 ) But to leave the (^ompariloh^ iind refume the Subjeftj the Efjg^ glijh Monarchy hath been often reckoned to refetnble a Communi- ty united under and directed by by one fujperior Intelligence, con* curriiig with all their Powers and Faculties in one and the fame A&. Neverthelefs, the f)ifufe of the Powers inherent in the Crown, may in time extinguifli the Notion ol" Idea of that Right, and leave thofe who adt as Delegates of the Regal Power, at liberty to difpenfe with the due Courfe of Bufinefs, which from the Nature of Things, and the Tendency of evil Habits in the Offices, may be the Means of in- C tro- * ! { lo ) troducing a kind of Oligarchy in the Adminiftration of State Affairs, than which, nothing can be more fatal to the Subjed, or more to be dreaded in a mixed Monarchy. For although the Subjeds being go- verned by their own Laws, parti- cularly as to the Security of their Perfons and private Eftates, is a very great BlefEng, and what can- not be too much valued ; yet when confidered as a Nation, this alone cannot compleat their Happinefs, or render them fecure againft many Ads of Power at home, or againft the Incroachments of powerful Neighbours abroad. * ■I t In } I T ( " ) rchy in Affairs, e more e to be ly. For ng go- , parti- jf their -s, is a lat can- et when is alone ppinefs, ft many • againft owerful In In this Light the due Excrcife of the Prerogative, and the Security of the Subjeds, depend principally upon making the Crown the Cen- ter, to which all Matters relative to the Offices ought ultimately to refort, and that all thofe who prefide therein, and have the Diredion or Superintendency of them, be con- fidered as under an indifpenfable Neceffity of ading agreeable to Law, Juftice, and the King's War* rant, fo as not to affume a dif- penfing Power, or in any manner ad: merely of their own Will. In which Senfe only the Crown can be protedled from Surprife, or C 2 en- ( 12 ) cpabkd tp rcftrain thofe in Truft and Office, who if left at liberty to aft without t^ryy regular Chcd^ pr certain Controul, har^ Jcin thcif Power (although not at prcfent ii| their Inclination) to create 2^ d^ftin^ and oppofite Intcrcft to that of the Crowi^ and Subjcd, even (o far as to introduce all thofe Evils which are the natural Confequcnccs of Anarchy and Confufion. fi. late Writer juftly obfervcs, that where Principles are wanting, Confiftcncy muft naturally be wanting, and where there is no Confiftency, we muft not expeft cither Dignity or Importance ; on the contrary, the Conflud: of fuch 3 a ii Truft liberty Chec}^ % thcif ent i^ of the fo far which :c8 of ervcs^ iting, f be is no xped -; on ' fuch a ( «3) a Community will be iludlq^g always^ will be abfurd ofteoi and which, in the End, muft render them as low and contemptibk in the Eyes of their Nei^bours, as lever they had been great or emi-^ nent. But may not the (ame Ef^ feds arife from different (DaufeSp may not thofe in Power be endow- ed, in a private Light, with marty commendable Qualities, and yet from thiB Indifpofition or Confti- tutional Pifcwder of the Offices^ be liable to infinite Abfurditin and Contradidions in the Whole pf their public Proceedings? As conceive, jtheymay, from the Ten- dency of the Offices which often ppqratcs i^s forcibly on thofe wha prc- m I: ( H) prefide . therein, as the Frame, Temper, and Difpofition of the Body influences the Mind or Fa- culties of Men ; therefore if the Offices are capable of producing fuch direful EfFedls, how careful ought we to be in diflinguifliing between the Man and the Office, left we are found to ad: upon wrong Principles, and to apply Remedies ^ not fuited to the Nature of the Difeafe ; for if the Grievances . complained of arife principally from the Alterations which. have been formerly made, in the Courfe of proceeding in the great Offices, let who will be employed, they muft either fall in with the Views andPaffionsof other Men, orelfe, like Frame, of the or Fa- if the ducing careful aiihing Office, wrong medies of the ^varices ^ Lcipalljr ;h.have Courfe 3ffices, 1, they Views or elfe, like ( ^5 ) like the great Sulfyy undertake to reform the Offices » ^ But as Men of great Diftindion, high Rank, or profound Learn- ing, are, in their feveral Spheres,' too much elevated minutely to ob- ferve the common Tranfadions of Life, and the Syftem of the public Offices, upon the Knowledge of which much depends, it may be of great ufe to the Public to take a View of what was in former Times, and what is now, the Courfe of proceeding in the great Offices ; thereby to difcover hoW they may be made to operate, foas to have an univerfal or general EfFedt on the whole Frame and Confti- tution I ", (i6) tutlon of the Goveinment of thk Kingdom. .r ,; ; Order is the true Parent of Suc^ ce£» and ia thi"^ Light all wife Go- vernments will ufe their utmoft Efforts, to prevent the leaft Change or Alteration being made in their Syftem; for by admitting Innova-* tiom and a fummary Courfe of pro« ceeding in the great Offices^ Hi- Hory, and the Experience of alt AgpSf fhew^ that under fuch Cir* ( Men ially at ^ are al<- lat Men >nwhen thcif ( 17) their Adlions have no proper Re- ftraint by Law, • • • It is far from the Intention of this, or any future Treatifc on this . Subjedl, to refledt, or in the leaft infiniiate any thing to the Preju- dice of Men in Power, or even in the moft diftant manner, to hint that they entertain any Defign of / deviating from their Duty to the Crown, or to the Public. But only to demonftrate that if it is found, on Examination, that the Courfe of the Offices have been fo ' ' altered as not to bring every Mat- ter of Importance to the View of the Crown, and that the Suitors of the Crown may be barred from all Ao D ccfs w w ) i 't • i (18) cc^ to his Majefty ; under fuch a Situation of Things, the Head may, in many Refpcdts, be fepa-^ rated from the Body Politic:, which, of Confequence, muft introduce a new Principle into the Conftitu* tion, and this may through Time and many Caufes of a mix'd Na-^ ture, operate to the Ruin of this Nation, although nothing from without any way contribute to- wards fuch a fatal Effeft : A Storm is not always necefl'ary to iink a Ship, one treacherous Leak may do it in the greateft Calm, It is an eflablifhed Maxim, that whatever Things have Order, the fgm^ have? Unity of Defign. Npw Ih^ r fuch a e Head be fepa- ;, which, reduce a Donftitiu jh Time ix'd Na- I of this ig from biJte to-r A Storm to iink a eak majr cim, that rder, the n. Npw ■ ■ ♦ (19) 111 like manner the Body Is tio! di Parcel of loofe incolieretit Members without Connexion of Depen-* dance, but a Syftcm of various Parts, mutually related and fub- fervient to each other ; fo the Body Politic confifts of divers Parts or Powers, which, by mutual Rela- tions and proper Subordinations are^ or ought to be, formed into a re-^ gular Conftitution. And as Health, and Sickncfs, Life and Death, de- pend on a Circulation of the Blood being well or ill eftiblifhed, fd likewife the Strength and Vigour of the Body Politic, depend prin- cipally on the regular, free, and uninterrupted Circulation of Bufi- ncfs through the Channels of the ' D 3 public !i it . I, ( 30) public OfFices. As it is Unity of Defign, or the uinform Profecution of Biifincfs, by the means of a Muhipliclty of difi'crcnt Parts, all confpiring together, which enables Kintidoms or States to execute De- figns oi Importance ; fo by this we can bed: Jifccrn, how far they are able to exert their Power, either us I'liends, or Enemies. ■ Therefore as there are now many interefting Affairs depending with France^ relating to our foreign Set- tlements, it may be of great ufe to us, to examine into the Con- du6l and Proceedings of their Council or Board of Commerce, fo as to enable us to judge of their ' Strength, ^ Jnity of fecution s of a irts, all enables utc De- by this flir they r, either iw many ns with :ign Set- ;reat ufe le Con- )f their mmerce, of their Strength, (.21) Strength, Poliey, and Connc6bionc; and in feveral, other Refpedts it may be of ufe to treat on that Sub- jcdl, before we take a View of our own Courfe of Proceeding in our Council, or Board of Trade. • i *» »■ • • •. But although the Matters above Iiinted at are of great Moment and public Concern, yet it may be ne- ceffary, previous to fuch Enquiry, to know the Difpofition of the Public, fo as to be informed, how far this may be a fit Time to enter into a Difquifition of this Nature. Therefore to coUedl the Senfe of the Public on this Head, it is pro- per to mention the Heads of the fe- (22) feveral Matters propofed to he treated of in the following Dif* courfes, viz* Obfervations on the Preach Po* litics r.nd Government| with re-* fped to their Courfe of proceeding in their great Offices. The Motives which induced Lewis XIV. to conftitute a Board of Commerce, aild the Plan upon which the faid Board is Conftitu- ted ; and alfo the Checks and Re- ftraints the Governors and othef Officers are liable to in the Dif^ charge of their refpedtive Duties^ with a general View of their Com- merce. ' Thd (23) T The Defigns of the French in forming Connexions with the In" dians^ and \n extending their Ter- ritories in America^ with fome fur- ther Obfervations in relation to the general Plan of Power which they are endeavouring to eftablifli* 'W And, in the n^xt Place, it is in- tended to take a View of the Eng-^ Hfi Colonies in America^ with re* fpedt to their Settlements and dif- feren*: Models of Government. The Plan, or Syftem of our Council or Board of Trade, as conftituted in 1696; and of fe- veral other Regulitions with re- 4 fped M ' ■f , ■ ( '24 ) fpe6l to our Colonies, and to his Majefty's Governors and other Of- ficers of the Crown there. ^ '':^'- V % \ *0f ^A *^ * -. w«/kA '^ The Alterations which have been made in the faid Syftem or Plan of Government ; and alfb the Abufes which have crept into the Offices in Amertca\ and, as much depends on the Secretary of State's manner of fignifying the King's Pleafure, to treat briefly on that Siabjed. The Appointment of an Au- ditor and Receivers of his Ma- jefty's Revenues in the Colonies ; with feveral other Obfervations in relation to the Nature and Duty of the faid Offices ; and from what .. Caufes 'W: ( 25 ) Caufes the faid Appointments have not had the defircd Efk&. - . . ' ''•-.■, '^ To fliew that the Engltfif Colo- nies are not (o united, as to form any regular Plan (oc their own De- fence, when attacked by the French and Indians ; which pefed can only be redrefled by the Wifdor^ of the Legiflature. The great Importance of our Colonies, as it relates to our Trade and Navigation. , r . And, laftly, to offer feveral Pro- pofals for redrefling the Grievances complained of in the Courfe of this Eflay. And lii ( 26) ^'UL 1,-'. i. . Jiil'.'V.' t t - ■ ♦ J^\\l-^J And having treated fully in the former Difcourfes of the Syftem of the French Board of Commerce, and our Board of Trade, and o- ther Matters relative to America ; it IS conceived, that it may be of great ufe to take a View of the Original Syftem or Plan of pro- ceeding in our other great Boards at home, viz. yv'\ To treat briefly of the Powers lodged in the Lord High Trea- fnrer, Deputy-Treafurer, and Chan- cellor of the Exchequer, -| .; } To take a View of the Depart- ments of feveral of the principal Officers I I II in the jrftem lerce, nd o- ^ica ; be of of the ' pro- Soards 'owers Trea- Chan- )epart- incipal )fficQis i ; ( 27 ) officers of the Exchequer, from the Reign of King Henry VII. until the Revolution ; namely, of the Auditors of the Impreft, the Auditors of the Exchequer, and the King's and Treafurer's Re- membrancers ; and as the faid Re- membrancers are a proper and ufe- ful Check upon the Accomptants, and moft of the other Officers be- longing to the faid Court, it may be proper to treat fully on that Head. And next to treat briefly of the prefent Courfe of proceeding in the Treafury and Exchequer, in relation to our home and foreign Revenues, and the Connections the faid Treafury-Board hath with the \v Mi 1 li. i|M ( 28 ) die Admiralty and other great Of-* fices. •^f t.. .--.1 cr. J t a. ■» • r v:- j ].-/ • To oiFer a fliort State of the va- rious Regulations which have been made in his Majefty's Privy-Coun- cil, for upwards of 1^0 Years ; to point out the great Benefits and Advantages refulting from them ; and as nothing can fliew the Wif- dom of any Syftem better^ than to point out the Inconvenience which naturally arifes from the Difufe of of them, to make feveral Remarks thereon. .f » And, laftly, toobferve, that as all executive Power ought to centre in the Crown, as flowing original- 3 ly i t Of- oil; ilU: le va- becn Uoun- 1 s; to $ s and hem; iWif- lan to which Cufeof ^ :mark& that as centre * iginal- 1 ly 1 { 29) ly from that Fountain, if the Checks or Reftraints on thofe in Office, which have been wifely conftituted by our Anceftors, are leffened or removed, we may, un- der fuch a Predicament, purfue the Form, and yet give a new Princi- ple or Spirit of Adlion to the Go- vernment, which through Time, Incidents, and a great Variety of ^ Caufes, may leave us deftitute of all Refource* FINIS.