er, uncle?" chimed in Ella. "And what is a revenue, uncle?"
put in Charlie. "And what is a remonstrance, uncle?" inquired Bryce,
following up the attack.

"Hold, you rogues! and one at a time!" cried Uncle Juvinell. "A
minister, Laura, in the sense in which we have been using the term, is
a high officer of State, intrusted with the control and management of
some office or department of the national government, such as that of
the navy or war or treasury or commerce or foreign affairs. All the
ministers, taken collectively, make up what is called the ministry;
who, besides discharging the duties of their respective offices, are
also expected to serve as counsellors to the king, and aid him in
carrying out the measures of the government. A commissioner, Ella, is
an agent appointed and authorized by another, or a number of others,
or a State, to transact some business of a private or public
character, as the case may be. A revenue, Charlie, is the income or
yearly sum of money of a State, raised from taxes on the people or
their property, from duties on foreign merchandise imported into the
country, and from the sale of public lands and other sources, to meet
the expenses of the government. A remonstrance, Bryce, is a
setting-forth in strong terms, either by writing or by word of mouth,
the facts and reasons against something complained of or opposed, as
unjust, unwise, or unadvisable."

"I can't imagine," said Daniel, with the air of one who had weighed
well in his own mind a matter of importance, "what advantage to
themselves or to the nation George the Third and his ministers could
have expected, when they laid those heavy taxes on their American
Colonies, then took from them the power to pay them by crippling their
commerce and putting a stop to their manufactures; and it seems
strange to me that Englishmen could ever have denied to Englishmen the
rights and liberties of Englishmen, without having something more to
gain." Here Daniel broke down, and scratched his head; and Uncle
Juvinell, with an approving, good-humored smile, replied, "Those very
questions, Daniel, have puzzled many an older head than yours, and
many a wiser head than mine; and, indeed, some of the most learned
historians, who have written about these matters, have expressed
themselves perplexed at this strange conduct of the king and his
ministers, and have been able to account for it only on the
supposition, that they were all, for the time being,