from all the rest of the World, must be at home the Model of Justice, the very Pattern of Punctuality. Yet if they will be so good for a Moment to turn their Eyes inward, and contemplate their domestic Situation, they may perhaps find some Reason for extending alittle Charity to Strangers. We will say nothing of their private Bankrupcies, of which the World has always seen long and numerous Lists in their Daily Papers. But Honesty in Money-Matters, is a Virtue as justly to be expected from a Government as from an individual Subject. Here is a Nation which a Century ago made a mistaken Valuation of its Landed, Property, in order to an equal Taxation. The Error was afterwards discovered, and it was found that in a Land Tax of Four Shillings in the Pound, some were oblig’d to pay Six Shillings while other did not pay Sixpence. Yet the Majority of their Landholders preceiving this Error was to their Advantage, the Injured have never been able to find Honesty enough in any succeeding Parliament to rectify it and do them Justice. And yet Parliament of this Nation quarrel’d with America, because we could not confide that in taxing us they would be more just than they were in taxing one another. The Members of those Parliaments too, in their private Capacities, have been computed to owe more to their Butchers, Bakers, Fishmongers, Drapers, Mercers, Taylors and other Trades-People, than ever was due at any one Time from America to the Merchants of Britain; yet every body knows, that they bid Defiance to their Creditors by an assumed Privilege of Freedom from Suits, and never had Honesty or Honour enough to disclaim that Privilege, but contrive to have it extended thro’out the Year, and from Year to Year by artful and lengthen’d Prorogations. Even their King, with Respect be it spoken, hardly ever pay his Tradesmen punctually, or ever his Servants Wages, which we often hear are Six or Seven Quarters in Arrear. And the Heir to Crown too is already a Bankrupt. Nay the whole Nation has, as it is said, run in Debt to the Amount of Two Hundred and seventy Millions Sterling, much of it to Foreigners, which they now confess they never expect or intend to pay. And yet this is the Nation, which, after having themselves foolishly and wickedly disabled their Debtors, now refuse to perform a solemn Contract in their Power, and this for no better Reason, than that the American Merchants whom they have robb’d and ruin’d, do not pay their Debts!!!