discharged his Duty. He is not answerable for the Event: That must be left to Providence.

HOWEVER fhort of this Character, I may be found to have fallen, if I know my felf, I can, of a Truth, affirm, it has ever been uppermost in my View, and that it is from thefe Principles alone, I am now prompted to offer my felf a Candidate for an high Station among you. Could I have means of laying my Bofom open to You, I should not fear being able to acquit my felf of undertaking this arduous Tafk, for You, through Pride, or unbecoming Ambition. I affure You, I am most perfectly contented with being caft among the lower Clafs of Men, with regard to Station and Grandeur: For, there, in all Nations, at this, nay, at all Times, do We find most Freedom and Virtue. It is my utmoft Pride, that I am a Tradesman and Citizen of DUBLIN, and that I am neither of Family, Fortune, Education, or Principle to recommend me, to what the World falfely calls, † Great Men, that is, Men in Power, or modern, that is, ne-w-fashioned Gentlemen. Do but reflect, who have reftored, and now, uphold the Freedom and Rights of Sweden; You will find, they were the poor, defpifed Tradesmen and Peasants, whofe Reprefentatives, in their Parlement, though called from their Trades, their Shops, or their Ploughs, have always been, and are now the principal Opponents of the Incroachments on PUBLIC LIBERTY, and it's boldeft and beft Affertors. Who long preserved the finking States of Holland from impending Slavery, and lately reftored the original Frame of Government, against the Power of many corrupt Tyrants, grown great by the Spoils of their Country? Was not this done by the Tradesmen, headed, at first, by no more confiderable Persons, than a Black-Smith and a Wheel-Wright? What has often prevented the Ruin of a neighbouring Nation, when a Minifter practifed in Perfidy and Corruption, packed Placemen, Penfioners, and other venal Slaves and Profitutes, in fuch Crowds, into Parlement, that he could gain every End he proposed there? It was the Virtue and Freedom of the TRADESMEN of LONDON alone, which prevented many anticonflitutional Bills being carried into Execution, that had paffed both Houfes of Parlement. In this defpifed Clafs, my Pride would place me, if my Fortune had not. Here, I contentedly, gladly caft my Anchor.-Judge of the Truth of this by my Conduct, through all the Offices, in which I have already ferved You. And, as a Bond for future Behavior, accept these public Declarations.

IT is Time to lay Self afide; but, let me first inform You, that though I have publicly offered my self a Candidate for the Place of a CITIZEN to represent You in Parlement, it is but to let You my Intention and Defire, however weak and infufficient You

fee

Placemen, Penfioners, and Idlers of all Denominations; who, all over the Kingdom, affect to vilify and abufe Tradesmen of all Ranks; fet themselves in Oppofition to them, and afford them no better Appellations, than Rabble, Mob,

may

may find me, to ferve the finking Caufe of LIBERTY and my COUNTRY. From the fame Motive, incapable as I am of the Task, if the Citizens of Dublin fhould command me, on any juft Emergency, to lead an Army for them, I fhould, certainly think it my Duty to obey them. Their free Choice fhall ever determine me, in all Matters. And to fhew my inviolable Regard to their Freedom, I fcorn, difdain, and deteft all the little base, anticonftitutional Arts of modern Candidates, to gain the Voices of Men. If any mistaken Friend should attempt to influence any Man to vote for me, on any other Principle, than FREE CHOICE; let it not be looked upon, as my Act, I renounce, and protest against it. -The Man, who acts on moral, or constitutional Principles, can not, in any Inftance, invade, or reftrain the LIBERTIES of his Neighbour. He must think it, therefore, defigning, if not criminal, to influence a Voice to bring him into Parlement, as it would be to influence a Sherif to put him on a Jury.-Suppose yourselves, then, Sherifs, and any Man follicited You to be put on a Pannel; would You not, therefore, fufpect and reject him? You could not avoid it.- In the Cafe of an Election, You act in a judicial Capacity, as much, as a Sherif does. Your Vote is not entirely your own: Every Citizen and Subject is interested, in your Choice. You can not, without Perfidy, a Breach of Trust to Society, give it, through Intereft, or Compliment to any Man. He is a wicked, low Tyrant, that demands, or accepts of it, on these Terms, and can not, therefore, be fit to reprefent, nor, indeed, to be reprefented by, any Body. And the only Difference between him, and thofe that comply with him, can be no more, than that between the Tempter and the Tempted: Both, at beft, are criminal.-It is an Honor to represent FREEMEN; but, none but a Slave can fubmit to be the Representative of Slaves.

THE fteady Virtue and Freedom, fhewn by the COMMONS of Dublin, in the Years, one thousand seven hundred and fourty one, to one thousand seven hundred and fourty four, by their invariable Adherence to the Rights and Privileges of themselves and their Conftituents, which they bravely afferted and supported, against all the artful Practices and Power of thefe proud Enflavers, the Aldermen, who looked upon their lawful and rightful Creators, as their

The Author had now labored many Years under an hereditary Gout, by which, his Strength was univerfally impared, and he was for the most Part maimed and decrepid. But, fuppofing this Sentence pofitive, though it must appear to all difpaffionate Men, figurative, or comparative; when it is confidered, that the Corporation of the City of Dublin, or fome Part of it, are Commiffioners of Array for four Regiments, one of Horfe, and three of Foot, can it be deemed criminal, in any Citizen, in any Man, to fay, He would willingly be their General? And can any fubfequent Part of the Paragraph offend fuch wife, fuch free, fuch upright, fuch difinterested, fuch loyal, fuch virtuous, fuch patriot Members, as compofe our prefent great Houfe of Commons, in whofe Elections and Procedings, Venality, Corruption, or Faction, could never dare fhew their tainted Heads.

Creatures,

Creatures, like fome || corrupt Reprefentatives; § has always encou raged me to believe the Citizens of Dublin, as free and as brave a Body of Men, as any in the World. This may well be prefumed, without any Exaggeration, when We find a Set, culled by the Aldermen, out of a double Return, not for any Opinion of their Sense, or Freedom, to be fure; as foon, as the long fecreted and unknown Charters of the City, and the conftitutional Rights of the People were brought to Light; fupported a Majority of three to two, and fometimes, two to one, upon every Queftion for TRUTH and LIBERTY, against the long continued Ufurpations of these little Tyrants; till they met with that fatal Rub, in the Courts of Law, to which none of You can be a Stranger.

THIS, as it has always emboldened me, in my low Way, to endeavor to profecute this Cause; fo, it fhall ever, while the fame Principles fubfift in your Breasts, animate me to exert the utmost. of the little Power, Heaven has given me, to ferve You.

As few of You have been in the Commons, and none of You, who know your Rights, or oppofed your Tafk-Mafters, there, can ever hope to get in again; the Conftitution of this City can be known but to a very few: So that, let your Senfe of Liberty be ever fo ftrong, if not duly informed of your Rights, You must, probably, often err in your Judgements.

In my first Addrefs to You, I recommended no Body, as I then, thought of no Particular to offer. My fole Aim in advising You to due Deliberation on your Choice, was only, in order to keep up the Prerogative of Freemen, to prevent Promifes for Votes being stoln, or extorted from You, and to gain Time to lay the Conftitution of the City and Nation, and the Rights and Privileges of the Citizens and Subjects, open to your View; without which, You can not elect properly, or freely.

THIS I fhall do, regardless of the Snubs of Men in Power, the *Aldermen of Society, as well as of Dublin, and the Sneers of anonymous Scriblers, or of felf-fufficient, or hackney Gibers.—Truth must ftand by it felf. It may be over-caft by Tyranny, and eclypfed by Ridicule, for a while; but, like the Sun, it muft, fooner, or later, shine forth, to the manifest Disgrace and Subverfion of both.

It is hoped, none can be fo mistaken, or malevolent, as to fufpect this glanced at the present House of Commons, whofe true Regard to the Constitution of their Country, their Tenderness of the Rights of the Subjects, in general, and their ftrict Adherence to the Senfe and Intereft of their Conftituents, in particular, will be remembered,-- -when thefe Papers are buried in Oblivion.

This can mean no Reflection on his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, who has held but two Seffions of this Parlement, nor on the Lords, fpiritual, or temporal, or Commons, who compofe it, many of whom have not yet been twenty-three Years, Members of this fhort Parlment.

*It is humbly hoped, that the late Perfecutors of the Author, or their late reverend Scribes and Orators, have not applied this to themfelves. If any Thing prophetic, appears in this, or fubfequent Paffages of thefe Papers, the Blame can not be thrown folely upon the Author, who is, in Fact, no Conjurer,

In order to give You a clear and rational View of your Rights and Privileges, it will be neceffary to trace them from the Original. In profecuting this Defign, I fhall, therefore, endeavor to give You, a true and fuccinct Account of the ORIGINAL FOUNĎATION of the national Conftitution, drawn from the best Authorities of History and Laws. I fhall explane the Prerogatives, Powers and Privileges of the THREE ESTATES, that conftitute our happy Frame of Government, the KING, LORDS and COMMONS; and point out the Strength and Excellencies of this Constitution; in which it will appear, of what Importance to the whole, the keeping up FREEDOM and INDEPENDENCE in ELECTIONS, agreeable to the primitive Inftitution, muft always prove.

I SHALL then make an easy and natural Tranfition, from the national, to the civil Conftitution. And fhall give You a correct Copy and Translation of THE GREAT CHARTER of your CITY, confirmed by ACT of PARLEMENT; which muft, at once, filence and put to Confufion, all the Enemies of your Eftablishment; and fhew them, that they must first completely overturn the national Conftitution, before they can hope to shake the FOUNDATION of OUR CITY.

THIS I fhall do, without any View of Profit to the Author, or the Printer: For, as I can only draw these Sketches, at fuch Times, and in fuch Manner, as the Calls of my Profeffion permit, they can not, at a Time, far excede the Bounds, or Expence of this Paper. And, that no Man fhould poffibly be cenfured for what I write, on this Head, as well, as to fhew my Senfe of Truth and Freedom, I fhall always lay my felf open, by fetting my Name to every Paper. If I advance an Error, I fhall, upon Conviction, readily, publicly, retract; and thank the generous Hand, that corrects me +.

I CAN not conclude this Paper, which has, already exceded the intended Bounds, without endeavoring to enforce one timely Cau

tion more.

You can not be altogether infenfible how you and YOUR COMMONs are treated by the Board of Aldermen. Though You can not fee all their Impofitions, all their Oppreffions, all their Perfidy and unnatural Ufurpations, at one View; yet, You must know, that they confeffedly, unlawfully, and unjustly, with-hold from You, Your UNQUESTIONABLE RIGHT of electing Aldermen, Coroners, and other Officers of the City; that they look upon YOUR COMMONS, as Beafts of Burden, and tranfact Matters without their Confent, or Knowlege; that they with-hold the Government and every Benefit of the Hofpital, founded and erected by the City, for reduced Citizens and their Children, from the Commons and Citizens, and their Iffue;

It must be confeffed, there is much Candor and Ingenuity in this whole Declaration, very uncommon with Enemies to their Country. But, fince the Author's Detection, it is ftrange, nay, a Pity, fome Body did not ftop his Carreer, and reclame him, by fhewing his Crimes, Falsehoods and Errors, in a just Light; which no Body has yet, with any Appearance of Reafon, or Truth, attempted.

that,

hat, in Spight to the Commons, they prefer their menial Servants and their Baftards, to Places, for which many poor Citizens petition, and for want of which, they and the forlorn Orphans of the City, are left exposed to all the Miferies of a wretched, degenerate State, where Poverty is deemed the worst, the only unpardonable Crime; that YOUR GREAT COURT of DARE IN HUNDRED, where You have a Negative upon all the Acts of Affembly, is fet at nought; that YOUR CUSTOMS are given up, without asking the Commons' Confent; that the Entertainments instituted and fet apart for You, on all public Days, are taken from You, and bestowed upon great Men and Favorites of the Board; while YOU and YOUR COMMONS are treated with the Fragments of their Feafts, at the Stairs of the Tholfel, or at the Back-Door of the Mayoralty-Houfe, like Beggars. Thefe are but few of the Grievances I could, and fhall hereafter, recite. Nothing can give these Abuses fanction, but your having Aldermen for your Representatives. If You have difinterefted Citizens to reprefent You, your Grievances, of every Kind, may be brought before the COMMON-COUNCIL of the Realm, the Parlement, and You must have Redress. Have You any Reason to judge, that an Alderman will bring in any Petition, and much less, one against himself, and the Board? And confider, will not returning an Alderman be fuch a confenting to, and approving of, the Tyrannies, under which You groan, that it will, hereafter, be vain to make any Struggle for your Liberties. Examine these Matters fully and difpaffionately, and fee, if any of You can, confiftent, with the Oath of a Citizen, or the Duty of a Subject, vote for any Alderman, till the whole Board is reformed?—It is impofiible. I am too inconfiderable an Example for any Body; but, as I shall ever act, as a free Agent, I can not avoid declaring my Sentiments. Before, then I should be looked upon, as One of the Members of a Body, that could return fuch a Representative, I shall choose to be cut off, from all Rank, or Communion with them, by ‡ Dijfranchisement.

I THINK it proper to inform You, that every Man, that is born the Son of a Freeman, every Man, that ferves an Aprenticeship to a Freeman, and every Man that marries the Daughter of a Freeman, is intituled to his Freedom of Dublin. The later Right, the Aldermen have, for several Years paffed, cut off from the Citizens,

This is an Honor intended for the Author, by the prefent Board of Aldermen, and their worthy Creatures, the Commons; who, it is faid, in laft Michae'mas Affembly, made an Act to disfranchise CHARLES LUCAS, that Enemy to his Country, as they call him in their Addrefs to the L. L. of the fame Date, unless he fhews Caufe to the contrary, the next Affembly Day. A Trouble, which he probably judges unneceffary: Becaufe, no Act of Affembly can deprive a Citizen of his Privileges, or Franchises, unless it can be proved, that he broke the Citizen's Oath, or forfeited his Bond to the Corporation. So, that the Allermen and C mmons have this Comfort, that if ever they are brought to condign Punishment for the long Train of enormous Crimes, though it should be by a Bill of Attainder, or by a Vote of the Houfe, or the Prefentment of a foreign Grand Jury, yet they may be all affured of the Honor of one Privilege of a Ctizen, that of being drawn in a Cait to the Gallows, without Ropes about their Necks.

B 2

and