ere it went smoothly and
did its business, and where it checked in its movements, or where it
damaged its work; I have also had and used the opportunities of
conversing with men of the greatest wisdom and fullest experience in
those matters; and I do declare to you most solemnly and most truly,
that, on the result of all this reading, thinking, experience, and
communication, I am not able to come to an immediate resolution in favor
of a change of the groundwork of our Constitution, and in particular,
that, in the present state of the country, in the present state of our
representation, in the present state of our rights and modes of
electing, in the present state of the several prevalent interests, in
the present state of the affairs and manners of this country, the
addition of an hundred knights of the shire, and hurrying election on
election, will be things advantageous to liberty or good government.

This is the present condition of my mind; and this is my apology for not
going as fast as others may choose to go in this business. I do not by
any means reject the propositions; much less do I condemn the gentlemen
who, with equal good intentions, with much better abilities, and with
infinitely greater personal weight and consideration than mine, are of
opinion that this matter ought to be decided upon instantly.

I most heartily wish that the deliberate sense of the kingdom on this
great subject should be known. When it is known, it _must_ be prevalent.
It would be dreadful indeed, if there was any power in the nation
capable of resisting its unanimous desire, or even the desire of any
very great and decided majority of the people. The people may be
deceived in their choice of an object; but I can scarcely conceive any
choice they can make to be so very mischievous as the existence of any
human force capable of resisting it. It will certainly be the duty of
every man, in the situation to which God has called him, to give his
best opinion and advice upon the matter: it will _not_ be his duty, let
him think what he will, to use any violent or any fraudulent means of
counteracting the general wish, or even of employing the legal and
constructive organ of expressing the people's sense against the sense
which they do actually entertain.

In order that the real sense of the people should be known upon so great
an affair as this, it is of absolute necessity that timely notice should
be given,--that the matter should be prep