To William Shirley
ms not found; reprinted from The London Chronicle, February 8, 1766.
Tuesday Morning [December 3, 1754].
Sir

I return the loose sheets of the plan, with thanks to your Excellency for communicating them.

I apprehend, that excluding the People of the Colonies from all share in the choice of the Grand Council, will give extreme dissatisfaction, as well as the taxing them by Act of Parliament, where they have no Representative, It is very possible, that this general Government might be as well and faithfully administer’d without the people, as with them; but where heavy burthens are to be laid on them, it had been found useful to make it, as much as possible, their own act; for they bear better when they have, or think they have some share in the direction; and when any public measures are generally grievous or even distasteful to the people, the wheels of Government must move more heavily.

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