the rope which hangs the criminal--on the poor man's salt, and the rich
man's spice--on the brass nails of the coffin, and the ribands of the
bride. At bed or board, couchant or levant, we must pay--the schoolboy
whips his taxed top--the beardless youth manages his taxed horse, with a
taxed bridle, on a taxed road;--and the dying Englishman, pouring his
medicine, which has paid 7 per cent., into a spoon that has paid 15 per
cent.--flings himself back upon his chintz bed, which has paid 22 per
cent--and expires in the arms of an apothecary who has paid a licence of a
hundred pounds for the privilege of putting him to death. His whole
property is then immediately taxed front 2 to 10 per cent. Besides the
probate, large fees are demanded for burying him in the chancel; his
virtues are handed down to posterity on taxed marble; and he is then
gathered to his fathers--to be taxed no more."--_Review of Seybert's
"America" in the Collected Works_.

"What would our ancestors say to this, Sir? How does this measure tally
with their institutions? How does it agree with their experience? Are we to
put the wisdom of yesterday in competition with the wisdom of centuries?
(_Hear! hear!_) Is beardless youth to show no respect for the
decisions of mature age? (_Loud cries of hear! hear!_) If this measure
be right, would it have escaped the wisdom of those Saxon progenitors to
whom we are indebted for so many of our best political institutions? Would
the Dane have passed it over? Would the Norman have rejected it? Would such
a notable discovery have been reserved for these modern and degenerate
times? Besides, Sir, if the measure itself is good, I ask the Honourable
Gentleman if this is the time for carrying it into execution--whether, in
fact, a more unfortunate period could have been selected than that which he
has chosen? If this were an ordinary measure, I should not oppose it with
so much vehemence; but, Sir, it calls in question the wisdom of an
irrevocable law--of a law passed at the memorable period of the Revolution.
What right have we, Sir, to break down this firm column on which the great
men of that age stamped a character of eternity? Are not all authorities
against this measure--Pitt, Fox, Cicero, and the Attorney and
Solicitor-General? The proposition is new, Sir; it is the first time it was
ever heard in this House. I am not prepared, Sir--this House is not
prepared, to receive it. The measure implies a distrust of his Maj