LETTER LXIII. TO THE RIGHT HON. LORD CAMDEN. MY LORD, ITURN with pleasure, from that barren wafte, in which no falutary plant takes root, no verdure quickens, to a character fertile, as I willingly believe, in every great and good qualification. I call upon you, in the name of the English nation, to ftand forth in defence of the laws of your country, and to exert, in the cause of truth and justice, those great abilities with which you were entrusted for the benefit of mankind. To ascertain the facts, set forth in the preceding paper, it may be necessary to call the perfons, mentioned in the mittimus, to the bar of the houfe of lords. If a motion for that purpose should be rejected, we shall know what to think of Lord Mansfield's innocence. The legal argument is fubmitted to your lord. fhip's judgment. After the noble stand you made against Lord Mansfield upon the question of libel, we did expect that you would not have fuffered that matter to have remained undetermined. But it was faid that Lord Chief Juftice Wilmot had been prevailed upon to vouch for an opinion of the late Judge Yates, which 02 was was fuppofed to make against you; and we admit of the excufe. When fuch deteftable arts are employed to prejudge a queftion of right, it might have been imprudent, at that time, to have brought it to a decifion. In the prefent inftance you will have no fuch oppofition to contend with. If there be a judge, or a lawyer of any note in Westminster-hall, who fhall be daring enough to affirm that, according to the true intendment of the laws of England, a felon, taken with the Maner, in flagranti delicto, is bailable; or that the difcrétion of an English judge is merely arbitrary, and not governed by rules of law,I fhould be glad to be acquainted with him. Whoever he be, I will take care that he shall not give you much trouble. Your lordship's character affures me that you will affume that principal part, which belongs to you, in supporting the laws of Eng land, against a wicked judge, who makes it the occupation of his life, to mifinterpret and pervert them. If you decline this honourable office, e, I fear it will be faid that, for fome months past, you have kept too much company with the Duke of Grafton. When the contest turns upon the interpretation of the laws, you cannot, without a formal furrender of all your reputation, yield the post of honour even to Lord Chatham. Confidering the fituation and abi lities lities of Lord Mansfield, I do not fcruple to affirm, with the moft folemn appeal to God for my fincerity, that, in my judgment, he is the very worst and most dangerous man in the kingdom. Thus far I have done my duty in endeayouring to bring him to punishment. But mine is an inferior, minifterial office in the temple of justice.I have bound the victim, and dragged him to the altar. JUNIUS. THE Reverend Mr. John Horne having with his ufual veracity, and honeft industry, circulated a report that Junius, in a letter to the Supporters of the Bill of Rights, had warmly declared himself in favour of long parliaments and rotten boroughs, it is thought neceffary to fubmit to the public the following ex. tract from his letter to John Wilkes, Efq; dated the 7th of September 1771, and laid before the fociety on the 24th of the fame month. "With regard to the several articles, taken "feparately, I own I am concerned to fee that "the great condition, which ought to be the "fine quâ non of parliamentary qualification, which ought to be the bafis (as it affuredly "will be the only fupport) of every barrier "raifed in defence of the conftitution, I mean "" a de 0 3 66 86 a declaration upon oath to shorten the duration of 'parliaments, is reduced to the fourth rank "in the esteem of the fociety; and, even in "that place, far from being infifted on with "firmnefs and vehemence, feems to have been particularly flighted in the expreffion. - You "fball endeavour to reftore annual parliaments !— "Are these the terms, which men, who are "in earnest, make ufe of, when the salus reipublica is at ftake?-I expected other language from Mr. Wilkes.-Befides my objection in point of form, I disapprove highly "of the meaning of the fourth article as it "ftands. Whenever the question fhall be fe"riously agitated, I will endeavour (and if I "live will affuredly attempt it) to convince "the English nation, by arguments to my understanding unanfwerable, that they ought to "infilt upon a triennial, and banish the idea "of an annual parliament. . . ་་ "I am convinced that, if fhortening the dura"tion of parliaments (which in effect is keep"ing the representative under the rod of the "conftituent) be not made the bafis of o 66 our new parliamentary jurifprudence, other "checks or improvements fignify nothing. "On the contrary, if this be made the founda❝tion, other meafures may come in aid, and, as auxiliaries, be of confiderable advantage. "Lord "Lord Chatham's project, for inftance, of in"creafing the number of knights of fhires, appears to me admirable....... 68 As to cutting away the rotten boroughs, I am as "much offended as any man at seeing fo many "of them under the direct influence of the "crown, or at the disposal of private perfons. "Yet, I own, I have both doubts and appre"henfions, in regard to the remedy you pro"pofe. I fhall be charged perhaps with an "unusual want of political intrepidity, when "I honestly confefs to you, that I am startled "at the idea of fo extenfive an imputation."In the first place, I queftion the power, de, jure, of the legiflature to disfranchise a num"ber of boroughs, upon the general ground "of improving the conftitution. There can"not be a doctrine more fatal to the liberty and "property we are contending for, than that, which confounds the idea of a supreme and "an arbitrary legislature. I need not point "out to you the fatal purposes, to which it has "been, and may be applied. If we are fincere "in the political creed we profess, there are "many things, which we ought to affirm, can"not be done by King, Lords, and Commons. "Among these I reckon the disfranchifing of "boroughs with a general view of improve0 4 "ment, |