 sudden affluence occasioned by trade, forced open
all the sluices of luxury and overflowed the land with every species of
profligacy and corruption; a total pravity of manners would ensue, and this must
be attended with bankruptcy and ruin. He observed of the parliament, that the
practice of buying boroughs, and canvassing for votes, was an avowed system of
venality, already established on the ruins of principle, integrity, faith, and
good order, in consequence of which the elected and the elector, and, in short,
the whole body of the people, were equally and universally contaminated and
corrupted. He affirmed, that of a parliament thus constituted, the crown would
always have influence enough to secure a great majority in its dependence, from
the great number of posts, places, and pensions it had to bestow; that such a
parliament would (as it had already done) lengthen the term of its sitting and
authority, whenever the prince should think it for his interest to continue the
representatives; for, without doubt, they had the same right to protract their
authority ad infinitum, as they had to extend it from three to seven years. -
With a parliament, therefore, dependent upon the crown, devoted to the prince,
and supported by a standing army, garbled and modelled for the purpose, any king
of England may, and probably some ambitious sovereign will, totally overthrow
all the bulwarks of the constitution; for it is not to be supposed that a prince
of a high spirit will tamely submit to be thwarted in all his measures, abused
and insulted by a populace of unbridled ferocity, when he has it in his power to
crush all opposition under his feet with the concurrence of the legislature. He
said, he should always consider the liberty of the press as a national evil,
while it enabled the vilest reptile to soil the lustre of the most shining
merit, and furnished the most infamous incendiary with the means of disturbing
the peace and destroying the good order of the community. He owned, however,
that, under due restrictions, it would be a valuable privilege; but affirmed,
that at present there was no law in England sufficient to restrain it within
proper bounds.
    With respect to juries, he expressed himself to this effect: - Juries are
generally composed of illiterate plebeians, apt to be mistaken, easily misled,
and open to sinister influence; for if either of the parties to be tried, can
gain over one of the twelve jurors, he has secured the verdict in his favour;
the juryman thus brought over will, in despite of all evidence and conviction,
