ves to talk of requisitions. But suppose the requisitions
are not obeyed? What! shall there be no reserved power in the empire, to
supply a deficiency which may weaken, divide, and dissipate the whole?
We are engaged in war,--the Secretary of State calls upon the colonies
to contribute,--some would do it, I think most would cheerfully furnish
whatever is demanded,--one or two, suppose, hang back, and, easing
themselves, let the stress of the draft lie on the others,--surely it is
proper that some authority might legally say, "Tax yourselves for the
common Supply, or Parliament will do it for you." This backwardness was,
as I am told, actually the case of Pennsylvania for some short time
towards the beginning of the last war, owing to some internal
dissensions in that colony. But whether the fact were so or otherwise,
the case is equally to be provided for by a competent sovereign power.
But then this ought to be no ordinary power, nor ever used in the first
instance. This is what I meant, when I have said, at various times,
that I consider the power of taxing in Parliament as an instrument of
empire, and not as a means of supply.

Such, Sir, is my idea of the Constitution of the British Empire, as
distinguished from the Constitution of Britain; and on these grounds I
think subordination and liberty may be sufficiently reconciled through
the whole,--whether to serve a refining speculatist or a factious
demagogue I know not, but enough surely for the ease and happiness of
man.

Sir, whilst we hold this happy course, we drew more from the colonies
than all the impotent violence of despotism ever could extort from them.
We did this abundantly in the last war; it has never been once denied;
and what reason have we to imagine that the colonies would not have
proceeded in supplying government as liberally, if you had not stepped
in and hindered them from contributing, by interrupting the channel in
which their liberality flowed with so strong a course,--by attempting to
take, instead of being satisfied to receive? Sir William Temple says,
that Holland has loaded itself with ten times the impositions which it
revolted from Spain rather than submit to. He says true. Tyranny is a
poor provider. It knows neither how to accumulate nor how to extract.

I charge, therefore, to this new and unfortunate system the loss not
only of peace, of union, and of commerce, but even of revenue, which its
friends are contending for. It is moral