The Political Progress of Britain; Or, an Impartial History of Abuses in the Government of the British Empire, in Europe, Asia, and America. from the

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1795 Excerpt: ... t H K POLITICAL PROGRESS O F BRITAIN. CHAP. . Purify and importance of Scots representatives in parliament Parchment baron--Anecdote of the Scots excise--Window tax--Extracts from an authentic report to the lords of the treasury--Herring fishery--Salt and coal duties--Dreadful oppression--Fate of Sir John b'enwick--Hislory of the creditors of Charles theSecond--Summary of the public services of the prince of Wales. THE people of Scotland are, on all occasions, foolish enough to interest themselves in the good or bad fortune of an English prime minister. Lord North once possessed this frivolous veneration, which hath since been transserred to Mr. William Pitt; and the Scots, in general, have long been remarked, as the most submissive and contented subjects of the British crown, It is hard to fay what obligations have excited that universal and superlative ardour of loyalty, for which, till very lately, we have been so strikingly distinguished. Mr. Brinfley Sheridan observed, some time ago, in the house ot commons, that the Scots nation hath jufl as much interest in the government of Britain, as the miners of Siberia have in the government, of Russia. The assertion was at once the most humiliating and well founded. A public revenue of eleven hundred thousand pounds annually is extracted from North-Britain. Of this sum, at least six hundred thousand pounds are lodged in the exchequer of England, a country that has incessantly, and not very decently, reproached us for poverty. It is strange that sixteen hundred thousand people should submit to pay eleven hundred thousand pounds per annum to a government, in the direction of which they have nothing to fay. It is very natural that a nation, absorbing six hundred thouiarid pounds a year of our money, should be a g...