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in the partial or perverted effect of a particular law. He will be guided, in the motions which he brings forward, by his opinion of their usefulness or neceffity. He will regard the applause which he may receive, or the odium which he may incur, no further than as the one may contribute to promote, or the other to impede, his power of rendering future services to his country and to mankind. He will not fhrink from propofing the restraint or the furrender even of one of the privileges of his own order, if its continuance in its fent extent, or its continuance at all, appears in his opinion inconfiftent with the public good. Whatever measures he may fuggeft, he will accommodate them, as far as reason and the nature of the intended object will admit, to the sentiments of thofe on whofe concurrence their fuccefs may depend; and will ftrive to frame his proceedings in fuch a manner as may enfure to him, if he should fail to attain the end which he principally defires, the accomplishment of that which is next to it in point of eligibility. He will not aim at tak ing the lead where he can be of more effential ufe by giving fubordinate affiftance; nor endanger

danger the reception of a plan by exposing it to the effect of prejudices, which might lie against himself as the introducer of it.

In appreciating the measures introduced by others, he will be actuated by motives no less pure and confcientious. He will warmly fupport fuch as he deems laudable and useful, and strenuously resist those of the contrary description, whether brought forward by Ministry or by their opponents, whether proceeding from a popular or from an unpopular fide of the House. He will not fuffer his conduct respecting private Bills to be determined by perfonal favour and perfonal folicitation; nor, if he is himself interested in the fate of the inclosure, the canal, or the turnpike road, will he refort to those improper modes of influence, or act on those selfish motives, which he would have disapproved, had he been an unconcerned fpectator of the conteft. He will not concur in augmenting the public revenue by means of laws which are oppreffive or unfair in their operation. He will not fill the treafury (c) at the expence of national virtue. In

deciding

(c) On this ground Lotteries appear highly objection

able;

deciding on the conduct of the executive of ficers of the Crown, he will be guided neither by hopes nor by fears, by attachment nor by averfion. He will discountenance the prevailing maxim of estimating the merit of their operations by the event; not merely because the wisest plans may be disconcerted by accidents, and the most inconfiderate crowned with undeferved fuccefs; but because the most politic and beneficial end may have been ob

able; and all Bills which render perjury more frequent by the multiplication of unneceffary or improper oaths; or which encourage smuggling, and opprefs the honeft trader, by impofing high duties on commerce or manufacturés, in cafes where fraud is easy and obvious. Among the advantages of freeing trade from all needless restrictions, the number of oaths faved is perhaps the most important. The fcandalous violation and evafions of oaths taken at the Custom House can fcarcely be defcribed. And it may not be improper here to add, that the total difregard fhewn by Churchwardens to parts of their oath, the injunctions of which will never be obeyed in the present ftate of manners and fociety, loudly demands the interpofition of the Legislature. In the fucceffive execution of this office, almost every man above the rank of a daylabourer in every parish of the kingdom learns to confi der the strongest sanction of truth as a nugatory form. Let the effects, both in a civil and religious point of view, be estimated by thofe who have it in their power to remove the caufe.

tained

tained by means which in the judgement of honeft men should confign the agent to infamy. From the fame fcrupulous regard to the general interefts of morality, he will be invariably folicitous, while he gives to Ministers that degree of confidence which he deems their situation to require, to have each of their proceedings with foreign powers brought as early and as diftinctly before the public eye as the national fafety will permit. Ministers have the common infirmities and the common feelings of men. Those who are actuated by the most commendable motives will be more on their guard against the failings to which even the best men are liable, when they know that their whole conduct is closely inspected. Those who are proof against the secret calls of virtue may be reftrained by the fear of detection. It is the dusk of evening, or the obfcurity of folitude, which fends forth the petty plunderer to his depredations; and guilt acts on the fame principle in all claffes of fociety.

When a confcientious member of the Houfe of Lords engages in parliamentary debate, he will advance no arguments in support of his opinion,

opinion, but those which fincerity justifies him in maintaining. He will not conceive himfelf universally bound to produce thofe reafons which have the strongest influence on his own mind, if he apprehends that they would fo far fhock the prejudices of others as to endanger the fuccefs of the measure proposed, or that the avowal of them would involve the difclofure of political circumftances, which for the fake of public good ought at the moment to be kept fecret. But he will not urge the adoption of it without either alleging such grounds as in his own judgement render it advisable; or fuch as he thinks render it advisable on the principles prevalent with those whom he addreffes. In the latter cafe, however, he will not delude his hearers by giving them caufe to believe that the reasons which he brings forward are thofe on which his own determination relics. He will contend with the candour and opennefs of a man anxious for the discovery of truth and the promotion of ge neral good; and will confcientiously avoid the artifices and exaggerations, which belong to the interested defender of a favourite fcheme. He will avail himself of all fit opportunities of avowing

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