parliament,
etc.; that from the distance of the colonies, with other circumstances,
no means had ever been devised for procuring for them a representation
in parliament; that the colonies had each a general assembly that ought
to tax and assess them; that these assemblies had often spontaneously
granted the crown subsidies, etc.; that experience had shown that such
grants made by the assemblies were more beneficial and conducive to the
public service, than the mode of giving and granting aids and subsidies
in parliament to be paid in the colonies: that the act for granting
certain duties in the colonies, for allowing a drawback upon the
exportation from this kingdom of coffee and cocoa-nuts of the produce of
the said colonies, etc. should be repealed; that the bill for altering
the course of trials in Massachusets Bay should be repealed; that the
Boston Port Bill should be repealed; that the bill for altering the
constitution of Massachusets Bay should be repealed; that the act of
King Henry VIII., in regard to the trial of treasons committed out of
the king's dominions, should be amended; that the new regulations for
appointing and paying the judges should be altered so as to meet the
views of the colonists; and that the American courts of admiralty or
vice-admiralty should be regulated in such, a manner as to make them
more commodious to those who sued or were sued in them, and to provide
for the more decent maintenance of the judges presiding in those courts.
These propositions were vigorously combated by the ministers, and
rejected by the house; and five days afterwards a scheme closely
resembling Lord Chatham's, proposed by Mr. Hartley, shared the same
fate. Burke appealed to the public by printing his speech, but though it
was read and admired, it was soon forgotten. On the other hand a defence
of American taxation, published by his friend Dr. Johnson, in which he
defended colonial subordination on the principles of the law of nations,
and maintained that the colonists, by their situation, became possessed
of such advantages as were more than equivalent to their right of voting
for representatives in parliament, etc., had a great effect on the
public mind, which was pre-disposed to admit his arguments. The voice of
the nation was, in fact, in favour of the measures pursued by Lord North
and his coadjutors in the ministry.

CLOSE OF THE SESSION.

Towards the close of the session Lord North moved an addition